Tag: unemployment insurance
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Kansas legislators introduce bill proposing state unemployment insurance benefit pause when federal benefit supplements are available
Kansas House of Representatives introduced House Bill 2570 on January 23, 2024, which proposed pausing state unemployment insurance benefits when the federal government creates temporary benefit supplements—such as the $600 weekly stipends issued by the federal government during the COVID-19 pandemic. The bill also proposed the following: Unemployment insurance is a joint federal and state…
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Washington State Senate introduces bill proposing unemployment insurance benefits for striking workers
Legislators in the Washington State Senate introduced a bill on January 8, 2024, that proposed allowing striking workers to claim unemployment insurance benefits. Washington Senate Bill 5777 passed the Senate Committee on Labor and Commerce on January 16, 2024, and advanced to the Rules Committee on January 17, 2024, for a second reading. Currently, New…
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Illinois law requiring unemployment insurance taxes for contractors takes effect
Illinois House Bill 3301 took effect on January 1, 2024, amending Illinois’ Unemployment Insurance Act to update the definition of a newly hired employee to include independent contractors. The updated definition requires employers to pay state unemployment insurance taxes for contractors. House Bill 3301 passed the Illinois House on March 22, 2023, and the Senate…
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South Dakota unemployment insurance tax cut takes effect
South Dakota House Bill 1011, which decreases the state unemployment tax rate for employers by 0.5%, took effect Jan. 1, 2024. The state estimates businesses will save about $18 million in taxes in 2024 under the new law. Gov. Kristi Noem (R) signed the bill on Feb. 1, 2023. The state Senate passed the bill…
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Three Arkansas unemployment insurance laws take effect
Three unemployment insurance laws in Arkansas went into effect on January 1, 2024. Together, Acts 106, 196, and 587 reduce maximum unemployment insurance benefits, establish the contribution rate of employers, disqualify an individual from receiving benefits under certain circumstances of refusing a job offer or failing to attend a job interview, and require benefit recipients…
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Weekly unemployment insurance claims rise to 205,000
New applications for U.S. unemployment insurance benefits rose 2,000 for the week ending December 16 to a seasonally adjusted 205,000. The previous week’s figure was revised up by 1,000 to 202,000. The four-week moving average as of December 16 fell 1,500 from the previous week’s revised average to 213,500. Unemployment insurance is a joint federal…
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U.S. weekly unemployment insurance claims rise to 218,000
New applications for U.S. unemployment insurance benefits rose 7,000 for the week ending Nov. 25 to a seasonally adjusted 218,000. The previous week’s figure was revised up by 2,000 to 211,000. The four-week moving average as of Nov. 11 fell 500 from the previous week’s revised average to 220,000. The number of continuing unemployment insurance…
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U.S. senators introduce bill seeking changes to unemployment insurance program
Senate Finance Committee Chairman Ron Wyden (D-), U.S. Senator Michael F. Bennet (D-Colo.), and U.S. Representative Don Beyer (D-Va.) and a coalition of six Democratic and Independent senators on October 26 introduced a bill proposing several modifications to the joint federal-state unemployment insurance program. The act, among other provisions, proposes the following program changes: Unemployment…
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U.S. weekly unemployment insurance claims rise to 210,000
New applications for U.S. unemployment insurance benefits rose 10,000 for the week ending Oct. 21 to a seasonally adjusted 210,000. The previous week’s figure was revised up by 2,000 to 198,000. The four-week moving average as of Oct. 21 rose 1,250 from the previous week’s revised average to 207,500. The number of continuing unemployment insurance…
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California governor vetoes unemployment insurance benefits for striking workers
California Governor Gavin Newsom (D) on September 30 vetoed a bill that would increase labor protections for striking workers. The California State Assembly and Senate on September 11 and 14, 2023, respectively, passed SB 799, which would have allowed workers who were on strike for at least two weeks to receive unemployment insurance benefits of…