New applications for U.S. unemployment insurance benefits fell 20,000 for the week ending March 11 to a seasonally adjusted 192,000. The previous week’s figure was revised up from 211,000 to 212,000. The four-week moving average as of March 11 fell to 196,500 from a revised 197,250 as of the week ending March 4.
The number of continuing unemployment insurance claims, which refers to the number of unemployed workers who filed for benefits at least two weeks ago and are actively receiving unemployment benefits, fell 29,000 from the previous week’s revised number to a seasonally adjusted 1.684 million for the week ending March 4. Reporting for continuing claims lags one week.
Unemployment insurance is a joint federal and state program that provides temporary monetary benefits to eligible laid-off workers who are actively seeking new employment. Qualifying individuals receive unemployment compensation as a percentage of their lost wages in the form of weekly cash benefits while they search for new employment.
The federal government oversees the general administration of state unemployment insurance programs. The states control the specific features of their unemployment insurance programs, such as eligibility requirements and length of benefits.
For information about unemployment insurance programs across the country, click here.
A new Arkansas law effective March 6, 2023, will limit the maximum length of unemployment insurance benefits from 16 weeks to 12 weeks starting Jan. 1, 2024. The bill passed with veto-proof majorities in both chambers (29-3 in the Senate and 79-15 in the House).
The law will also reduce the new employer unemployment insurance tax rate from 2.9% to 1.9% in 2024 and reduce the solvency surtax—an additional fee intended to ensure stable reserves in the state unemployment trust fund—from 0.2% to 0.1% by fiscal year 2025.
Unemployment insurance is a joint federal and state program that provides temporary monetary benefits to eligible laid-off workers who are actively seeking new employment. Qualifying individuals receive unemployment compensation as a percentage of their lost wages in the form of weekly cash benefits while they search for new employment.
The federal government oversees the general administration of state unemployment insurance programs. The states control the specific features of their unemployment insurance programs, such as eligibility requirements and length of benefits.
For information about unemployment insurance programs across the country, click here.
The Arizona State Senate on March 2 passed a bill 16-14 that would index the length of unemployment insurance benefits to the state’s unemployment rate. During times when the unemployment rate is at or below 5%, unemployed workers could collect a maximum of 12 weeks of benefits under the bill. The bill proposes capping the maximum benefit length at 20 weeks during times when the unemployment rate is more than 8.5%.
Arizona’s current maximum benefit length is 24 weeks if the unemployment insurance rate is less than 5% and 26 weeks if the jobless rate is 5% or more. The state’s unemployment rate was 4.0% as of December 2022, according to the most recent Arizona Commerce Authority data, meaning the maximum weekly benefit would fall by 12 weeks (from 24 weeks to 12 weeks) if the bill passes and the unemployment rate remains stable.
The bill now heads to the Arizona House for consideration.
Unemployment insurance is a joint federal and state program that provides temporary monetary benefits to eligible laid-off workers who are actively seeking new employment. Qualifying individuals receive unemployment compensation as a percentage of their lost wages in the form of weekly cash benefits while they search for new employment.
The federal government oversees the general administration of state unemployment insurance programs. The states control the specific features of their unemployment insurance programs, such as eligibility requirements and length of benefits.
The Iowa Senate’s Workforce Committee advanced a bill on February 28 that proposed reducing the maximum weekly unemployment insurance benefit amount families with three or more dependent children could claim. Currently, Iowa considers the number of dependents an individual or family cares for in determining benefit amounts. This proposed change would create a formula with three dependent benefit levels that would cap the maximum amount at three children.
The bill also proposed waiving requirements for certain seasonal workers (such as some school bus drivers, for example, who may get laid off every summer and rehired every fall or construction workers) to search for employment every week to remain eligible for unemployment insurance benefits.
The legislation contains another provision that would tie the number of work search activities an unemployed worker needs to perform per week to remain eligible for benefits to the number of job openings in his or her area. When a lot of jobs openings are available, workers would need to perform six work search activities per week. When few job openings are available, workers would need to perform four work searches per week under the bill. Currently, Iowa law only requires workers to perform four job searches each week, depending on prevailing economic conditions.
The bill is now eligible for debate on the full Senate floor.
Unemployment insurance is a joint federal and state program that provides temporary monetary benefits to eligible laid-off workers who are actively seeking new employment. Qualifying individuals receive unemployment compensation as a percentage of their lost wages in the form of weekly cash benefits while they search for new employment.
The federal government oversees the general administration of state unemployment insurance programs. The states control the specific features of their unemployment insurance programs, such as eligibility requirements and length of benefits.
New applications for U.S. unemployment insurance benefits fell 1,000 for the week ending February 11 to a seasonally adjusted 194,000. The previous week’s figure was revised down from 196,000 to 195,000. The four-week moving average as of February 11 rose to 189,500 from a revised 189,000 as of the week ending February 4.
The number of continuing unemployment insurance claims, which refers to the number of unemployed workers who filed for benefits at least two weeks ago and are actively receiving unemployment benefits, rose 16,000 from the previous week’s revised number to a seasonally adjusted 1.696 million for the week ending February 4. Reporting for continuing claims lags one week.
Unemployment insurance is a joint federal and state program that provides temporary monetary benefits to eligible laid-off workers who are actively seeking new employment. Qualifying individuals receive unemployment compensation as a percentage of their lost wages in the form of weekly cash benefits while they search for new employment.
The federal government oversees the general administration of state unemployment insurance programs. The states control the specific features of their unemployment insurance programs, such as eligibility requirements and length of benefits.
New applications for U.S. unemployment insurance benefits rose 13,000 for the week ending February 4 to a seasonally adjusted 196,000. The previous week’s figure was unrevised at 183,000. The four-week moving average as of February 4 fell to 189,250 from an unrevised 191,750 as of the week ending January 28.
The number of continuing unemployment insurance claims, which refers to the number of unemployed workers who filed for benefits at least two weeks ago and are actively receiving unemployment benefits, rose 38,000 from the previous week’s revised number to a seasonally adjusted 1.688 million for the week ending January 28. Reporting for continuing claims lags one week.
Unemployment insurance is a joint federal and state program that provides temporary monetary benefits to eligible laid-off workers who are actively seeking new employment. Qualifying individuals receive unemployment compensation as a percentage of their lost wages in the form of weekly cash benefits while they search for new employment.
The federal government oversees the general administration of state unemployment insurance programs. The states control the specific features of their unemployment insurance programs, such as eligibility requirements and length of benefits.
Members of the Indiana General Assembly’s House Financial Institutions Committee on February 2 passed a bill that would require the state to remove all pension funds from management by financial firms that support ESG or consider ESG criteria in investments:
“A House committee on Thursday approved a bill requiring the state’s public pension system to divest from and terminate business relationships with firms or funds that use non-financial ‘ESG’ factors in decisions, such boycotting gun manufacturers and fossil fuel companies.
The prohibition is part of a GOP effort to crack down on the environmental, social and governmental framework known as ESG investing.’
“‘These types of policies undermine the security that we seek,’ author Rep. Ethan Manning, R-Logansport, told the House Financial Institutions Committee on Thursday. ‘We need to focus our pension investments on financial factors and leave the politics and the social and ideological considerations out of it.’
“Proponents say House Bill 1008 ensures that managers investing on behalf of the Indiana Public Retirement System make returns-based decisions, and supports businesses in controversial industries who’ve found themselves cut off from financing, insurance and shipping options. …
INPRS uses external money managers to make investment decisions for its $45 billion-plus portfolio. A team of more than 20 INPRS employees then manage those investment managers.
The legislation turns scrutiny on them.
“It says portfolio company engagement, votes and other actions involving a range of topics could constitute furthering ESG interests. That includes disclosing, lowering or offsetting greenhouse gas emissions, looking at things like hiring practices and divesting from a list of protected industries.”
Click here to subscribe to Ballotpedia’s ESG newsletter to stay up-to-date on the most important developments. Click here to learn more about ESG.
New applications for U.S. unemployment insurance benefits fell 3,000 for the week ending January 28 to a seasonally adjusted 183,000. The previous week’s figure was unrevised at 186,000. The four-week moving average as of January 28 fell to 191,750 from an unrevised 197,500 as of the week ending January 21.
The number of continuing unemployment insurance claims, which refers to the number of unemployed workers who filed for benefits at least two weeks ago and are actively receiving unemployment benefits, fell 11,000 from the previous week’s revised number to a seasonally adjusted 1.655 million for the week ending January 21. Reporting for continuing claims lags one week.
Unemployment insurance is a joint federal and state program that provides temporary monetary benefits to eligible laid-off workers who are actively seeking new employment. Qualifying individuals receive unemployment compensation as a percentage of their lost wages in the form of weekly cash benefits while they search for new employment.
The federal government oversees the general administration of state unemployment insurance programs. The states control the specific features of their unemployment insurance programs, such as eligibility requirements and length of benefits.
Twenty-five states announced on January 26 that they had filed a lawsuit against the Biden administration alleging that, in their view, the Department of Labor’s new rule allowing for the consideration of ESG factors in Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA)-governed retirement investments increased portfolio risk and violated the law:
“A group of 25 states on Thursday filed a federal lawsuit against the Biden administration, arguing a recent rule allowing retirement plan managers to factor environmental and social issues into investment decisions violated the law.
“The lawsuit — led by Utah Attorney General Sean Reyes and joined by 24 other states including Louisiana, Texas and Virginia — challenges a Department of Labor (DOL) rule unveiled in November and which is set to go into effect on Jan. 30. The rule would open the door for fiduciaries to factor so-called environment, social and governance (ESG) considerations into Americans’ retirement accounts, an action the states argued could significantly harm the financial interests of customers.
“‘The Biden administration is promoting its climate change agenda by putting everyday people’s retirement money at risk,’ Reyes told FOX Business in a statement. ‘Americans are already suffering from the current economic downturn.’
“‘Permitting asset managers to direct hard-working Americans’ money to ESG investments puts trillions of dollars of retirement savings at risk in exchange for someone else’s political agenda,” he continued. ‘We are acting with urgency on this case because this illegal rule is set to take effect next week. It must be stopped.’
“The two dozen states filed the challenge in a federal district court in Texas and asked the court for a preliminary injunction to prevent the DOL from implementing the rule until a ruling had been issued in the case.
“In the lawsuit, the states allege that the DOL violated the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) of 1974. The law safeguards the retirement income of 152 million U.S. workers, equivalent to more than two-thirds of the nation’s adult population, and covers roughly $12 trillion in assets.”
In its coverage of the story, which focused specifically on Wyoming’s participation in the lawsuit, The Center Square quoted market analyst and ESG opponent Stephen Soukup, who suggested that the lawsuit could test the Biden administration’s approach to climate change and noted that a group represented by former Labor Department official Jonathan Berry had joined the plaintiff states:
“According to Stephen Soukup, who’s head of the investment consulting group The Political Forum, not only will the lawsuit test the nation’s tolerance for non-pecuniary ESG investing, but it will also ‘test the legitimacy of the Biden administration’s ‘whole of government’ approach to climate change and the power of administrative agencies to rewrite the plain meaning of long-standing statutes.’
“‘It is worth noting that, in addition to half the states filing suit, Liberty Energy has joined the plaintiffs as well,’ Soukup said. ‘Liberty is represented in this case by Jonathan Berry of Boyden Gray & Associates and Berry is, himself, a former Labor Department official, who worked specifically on preserving the clear meaning of ERISA and preventing ESG advocates from playing politics with Americans’ retirement accounts.’
“Starting Monday, retirement plan managers will be able to factor in a company’s environmental, social, and governing (ESG) positions when making investment decisions, as a Biden administration rule goes into effect – despite the objection of 25 Republican-led states.
“The lawsuit was filed Thursday in federal court in Texas. The court has yet to issue a ruling on the request for an injunction. If granted, the rule would be blocked for the duration of the case, depending on any subsequent appeal.”
New applications for U.S. unemployment insurance benefits fell 6,000 for the week ending January 21 to a seasonally adjusted 186,000. The previous week’s figure was revised up from 190,000 to 192,000. The four-week moving average as of January 21 fell to 197,500 from a revised 206,750 as of the week ending January 14.
The number of continuing unemployment insurance claims, which refers to the number of unemployed workers who filed for benefits at least two weeks ago and are actively receiving unemployment benefits, rose 20,000 from the previous week’s revised number to a seasonally adjusted 1.675 million for the week ending January 14. Reporting for continuing claims lags one week.
Unemployment insurance is a joint federal and state program that provides temporary monetary benefits to eligible laid-off workers who are actively seeking new employment. Qualifying individuals receive unemployment compensation as a percentage of their lost wages in the form of weekly cash benefits while they search for new employment.
The federal government oversees the general administration of state unemployment insurance programs. The states control the specific features of their unemployment insurance programs, such as eligibility requirements and length of benefits.
