2000 federal workers lined up for unemployment benefits in Alabama

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) - State labor officials say about 2,000 federal workers applied for unemployment during the partial federal government shutdown. Alabama Department of Labor spokeswoman Tara Hutchison told AL.com most claims weren't paid because many workers didn't complete the certification process, or were found to be ineligible for benefits. Hutchinson says the department paid about 27 claims, totaling about $15,000. Hutchinson says the certification process requires applicants to tell the department by phone or online that they're unemployed and are available for work. She says most residents didn't certify after they found out federal workers would be paid retroactively for their furlough days. Hutchinson says a possible reason for the low number of payments is the Waiting Week period, which bars benefits from being disbursed on the first week of the month.