Millions of gig economy, contract and furloughed workers who were promised they would qualify for unemployment benefits for the first time during the coronavirus pandemic are in limbo as the federal government and states scramble to implement that part of the $2.2 trillion relief package.

It could be weeks or longer before those newly-eligible workers get help as states await clarification from the Labor Department about precisely who qualifies and what documentation is required, and states then race to modify their existing unemployment insurance systems to include the expanded pool of recipients.