The final 6,100 Idahoans still receiving extended federal unemployment benefits have been notified by the Idaho Department of Labor that the payments will cease Dec. 30.

Department officials urged those losing benefits to use the department's resources to secure a job now, before winter sets in.

“Winter in Idaho is a tough time to be looking for work,” the notice says.

About 150 people a week have been exhausting their federal benefits without finding jobs.

Since 2008, as the recession hit, about 95,000 Idahoans have received extended unemployment benefits, which stretched the maximum time jobless workers could get payments up to 99 weeks, compared with the usual 26 weeks of state-funded benefits. The federal-benefits recipients received $990 million. At the height of the recession, 41,000 Idahoans were getting jobless benefits each week.