Bridgetown.
More Barbadians are filing unemployment claims, in December last year 500 new and returning people filed unemployment claims with the National Insurance Scheme (NIS).
According to John Springer, spokeman for the NIS and a former secretary to the NIS Tribunal, unemployed Barbadians are taking advantage of the recent extension from six to ten months to file for unemployment benefits.
He said the NIS benefits were a great assistance in the midst of tough economic times.
"If our employment benefits had stopped in six months, I am not sure where our country would be at this point in time. The extra six months that have been added to the unemployment benefits have assisted Barbadians greatly, in that they can continue to spend and live a decent lifestyle", Springer said.
He was speaking at a review meeting of the Canadian Farm Labour programme at the Lloyd Erskine Sandiford Centre yesterday.
