For the week of July 17, 2010, there were 630 new regular benefit claims for Unemployment Insurance, a decrease of 103 from the week before. Altogether 9,889 new and continuing claims were filed, a decrease of 186 from a week ago and 3,665 fewer than a year earlier. The Department also processed 2,122 First Tier claims for benefits under Emergency Unemployment Compensation, 2008 (EUC08), 355 fewer than a week ago. In addition, there were 1,238 Second Tier claims for benefits processed under the EUC08 program, which is a decrease of 137 from the week before. In addition, the Vermont Department of Labor announced on June 30 that it would be discontinuing extended unemployment benefits (STORY) beginning July 10 because the state's unemployment rate has fallen to 6.0 percent (STORY), which is below the 6.5 percent federal mandate for such benefits. However, Congress is in the process of restoring extended benefits. The Unemployment Weekly Report can be found at: http://www.vtlmi.info/. Previously released Unemployment Weekly Reports and other UI reports can be found at: http://www.vtlmi.info/lmipub.htm#uc