Tag: unemployment
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Colorado legislators introduce bill to direct federal funds to repay unemployment insurance debt
Colorado legislators on May 2 introduced a bill that would direct $600 million of federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds to help pay back the state’s $1 billion unemployment insurance trust fund debt to the federal government. The bill would also forgive certain non-fraud overpayments, meaning some workers who received more unemployment insurance payments…
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U.S. weekly unemployment insurance claims fall to 180,000
New applications for U.S. unemployment insurance benefits fell 5,000 (2.7%) for the week ending April 23 to a seasonally adjusted 180,000. The previous week’s figure was revised up from 184,000 to 185,000. The four-week moving average as of April 23 rose to 179,750 from a revised 177,500 as of the week ending April 16. The…
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Minnesota House passes bill to fund unemployment insurance fund and send checks to frontline workers
The Minnesota House of Representatives passed a $3.7 billion bill on April 25 that would raise the balance of the state’s Unemployment Insurance Trust Fund and repay unemployment insurance debts to the federal government. The move would reduce the unemployment insurance tax burden on employers, which increased March 15 to help refill the fund following…
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U.S. weekly unemployment insurance claims fall to 184,000
New applications for U.S. unemployment insurance benefits fell 2,000 (7.4%) for the week ending April 16 to a seasonally adjusted 184,000. The four-week moving average as of April 16 rose to 177,250 from a revised 172,750 as of the week ending April 9. The number of continuing unemployment insurance claims, which refers to the number…
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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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Kentucky governor signs bill extending unemployment tax rate freeze
Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear (D) signed House Bill 144 into law on March 24, freezing the state’s unemployment insurance tax rate at 2020 pre-pandemic levels for 2022. The Kentucky Chamber of Commerce estimated businesses would have paid about $70 more in taxes per employee if the tax rate had unfrozen. Kentucky’s unemployment insurance tax rate…