At 8 A.M. Eastern this morning, President George W. Bush signed into law an extension of unemployment benefits, according to the White House.

It gives seven more weeks of unemployment payments to workers who have exhausted their current jobless benefits. For those in states with the highest unemployment rates, an additional 20 weeks will be allowed.

On Thursday, the government reported the number of workers filing new claims for jobless benefits last week was at its highest level in 16 years and more than 4 million people were now receiving unemployment benefits.

With more Americans filing jobless claims than at any time since the 1992, the Senate’s passage of the House’s unemployment insurance extension legislation will help speed a few weeks of relief to more than 2 million workers who continue to search for  jobs in tough economic times.

The House passed the bill in October.