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During trying times, we help unemployed people achieve financial stability through job opportunities, job-training services, and unemployment benefits that help offset the loss of income. We help people gain employment with free testing, counseling, job referrals, and other services. We help employers find qualified people and put them to work.
The Social Security Act of 1935 led states to adopt unemployment insurance plans. That’s how DEW came to be. We bring employers and job seekers together to better promote stable employment and economic growth. Federal and state employer payroll taxes jointly finance unemployment insurance entirely. It is not welfare.
Taxpayers—What’s In Employment Security For You
I Have a Job. Why Should I Worry About The Unemployment Rate?
You may never file a claim, even so, be aware that unemployment extracts a high cost from society. Taxpayers shell out millions a year for unemployment’s crippling effects. Moreover, not employing people wastes a valuable commodity—labor. Getting people back to work raises everyone’s standard of living.
What Exactly Is Unemployment Insurance?
UI benefits provide qualified, unemployed workers temporary financial help. Generally, employers pay state and federal unemployment taxes if they pay employees $1,500 wages or more in any calendar year quarter; or, at least one employee worked any day of a week during 20 weeks in a calendar year. The weeks need not be consecutive. (Some state laws differ from federal law.) The federal government lends states unemployment insurance money when short of funds, which can happen with a high unemployment rate. All loans must be repaid with interest.
Explain Extended Benefits
Extended benefits start after an individual exhausts other unemployment insurance benefits (not including Disaster Unemployment Assistance or Trade Readjustment Allowances). Not all who qualify for regular benefits qualify for Extended Benefits.
What’s EUC?
The February 2009 Recovery Act extended Emergency Unemployment Compensation. EUC, a temporary program, paid workers in all states (Tier I) an additional 20 weeks of benefits. Workers in “high unemployment states” received an additional 13 weeks (Tier II).
The 2009 Worker Assistance Act expanded EUC, which now pays workers in all states 14 more weeks of benefits. "High unemployment state" workers receive six more weeks (20 weeks total). The entire EUC program was extended July 22, 2010, until November 10, 2010.
President Obama signed an $858 billion tax package into law December 17, 2010, that extends the EUC program through January 2012. It does not, however, add new tiers of benefits or weeks for those who have exhausted the 99-week combined state and federal assistance maximum. This action assures long-term unemployed workers can receive the standard 20 weeks of regular benefits plus up to 73 weeks of EUC and Extended Benefits (EB).
Tier I
The lesser of 20 times the weekly benefit amount or 80% of the regular Unemployment Insurance maximum benefit amount.
Tier II
The lesser of 14 times the weekly benefit amount or 50% of the regular Unemployment Insurance maximum benefit amount.
Increases weeks in the previous Tier II from 13 to 14 weeks of benefits in all states; no longer tied to a state reaching a specific unemployment level.
Tier III
The lesser of 20 times the weekly benefit amount or 50% of the regular Unemployment Insurance maximum benefit amount in states with an insured unemployment rate at least 4 percent or a total unemployment rate at least 6 percent.
Tier IV
The lesser of 6 times the weekly benefit amount or 24% of the regular Unemployment Insurance maximum benefit amount in states with insured unemployment rate of at least 6 percent or a total unemployment rate of at least 8.5 percent.
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