Gov. Ned Lamont announced the state will expand a program designed to help companies deal with the economic impact of the pandemic.

The Shared Work program allows businesses to temporarily reduce employee hours, but not lay them off, so they can keep their job and benefits. The employees then file for partial unemployment benefits to make up the lost wages.

Shared Work is open to companies with a staff of two or more that have reduced hours by up to 60%.

"So this is a real pivot point or transition for our economy. How can I keep people employed, how can I get people employed, how can we support them during this time?" Lamont said. "Maybe you can't afford to keep them five days a week, and maybe that's too much, but now your alternative is not unemployment or see if we can power through. Now its maybe three days a week I can keep them here.”

Over the last six months, over 1,300 companies have participated in Shared Work.