Under the proposed new law, workers in at least 40 would now qualify.

The companies can also benefit from high turnover, which means workers often do not qualify for insurance or vacation time.

In both states, these workers would have qualified more easily two or three years ago.

But the new workers will also qualify for health benefits sooner than under the previous pact.

Many part-time and self-employed workers do not qualify for the payments.

After three years the worker would qualify for permanent resident status.

In all other states, long-term jobless workers would qualify for 6 weeks.

Employers that do not offer coverage may instead have to pay the cost of any government subsidies for which their workers qualify.

Officials said they expected that a few thousand workers would qualify.

Under the latest plan, only older workers with at least 10 years of seniority may qualify.