Author: James McAllister
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Missouri House passes bill that could reduce unemployment insurance benefits period to eight weeks during low unemployment
The Missouri House of Representatives passed House Bill 1860 94-41 on April 14, which would reduce the maximum length of unemployment insurance benefits to eight weeks during times of low unemployment. Missouri’s current program indexes unemployment insurance benefits, meaning it provides shorter periods of benefits during times of low unemployment and longer periods of benefits…
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Massachusetts officials announce $2.6 billion bond sale to replenish the state’s unemployment insurance trust fund
Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker’s (R) administration announced on April 15 that the state intends to issue $2.6 billion of bonds to help replenish the state’s unemployment trust fund and pay back $1.77 billion of federal loans to the fund. The state legislature in 2021 approved bond sales to help fund the unemployment trust fund. The…
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Hawaii reports increased number of unemployment insurance phishing scams
The Hawaii Department of Labor and Industrial Relations (DLIR) announced April 7 an increased number of reports of phishing scams tied to unemployment insurance claims. The schemes involve scammers who impersonate the DLIR in text messages, emails, and social media posts that ask for personal information that is supposed to relate to unemployment insurance claims.…
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U.S. weekly unemployment insurance claims drop to lowest level since 1968
New applications for U.S. unemployment insurance benefits dropped 5,000 for the week ending April 2 from the previous week’s revised figure to a seasonally adjusted 166,000. The number is the lowest recorded since the week ending Nov. 30, 1968. The weekly drop also brought the four-week moving average as of April 2 down to 170,000…
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Michigan pauses collection of pandemic unemployment insurance overpayments
The Michigan Unemployment Insurance Agency announced April 8 a temporary pause on the collection of unemployment insurance overpayments issued during the coronavirus pandemic. The pause prevents the state from garnishing wages or intercepting state tax returns until at least May 7. The agency said the pause would give officials time to determine which claimants are…
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Massachusetts announces plan to waive up to $1.6 billion in non-fraudulent unemployment insurance overpayments
Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker’s (R) administration announced on April 14 a plan to waive $1.6 billion in non-fraudulent unemployment insurance overpayment collections. The plan would offer waivers for some workers who claimed benefits during the pandemic but were asked to repay them because the state deemed them ineligible after the payment of benefits. In total,…
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Alabama adds requirement for unemployment insurance eligibility
Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey (R) signed Senate Bill 224 on April 12, requiring unemployment insurance claimants to contact at least three prospective employers each week during their benefits period to remain eligible for payments. The bill defines a contact as an application or other genuine solicitation for an open job. The Alabama Department of Labor…
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New weekly U.S. unemployment insurance claims rise 7.4% over previous week
New applications for U.S. unemployment insurance benefits rose 14,000 (7.4%) for the week ending March 26 to a seasonally adjusted 202,000. The four-week moving average as of March 26 dropped to 208,500 from 211,750 as of the week ending March 26. Initial claims for the previous week ending March 19 came in at a seasonally…
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Oregon expands unemployment insurance eligibility
The Oregon Employment Department issued an order effective March 13, 2022, loosening unemployment insurance eligibility requirements. The order expanded the definition of the phrase available to work to include workers who are available to work at least 40 hours per week during times when, according to the state, an employer would typically offer work. Previously,…
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Kansas Department of Labor announces unemployment insurance modernization contract
The Kansas Department of Labor (KDL) announced on April 5 that the state chose Tata Consultancy Services to update the current IT system for processing unemployment insurance claims. The KDL said the project would take multiple years to complete, but the state had not released a timeline or budget as of April 5. Kansas launched…