Unemployment insurance for striking workers?
Currently, striking workers are ineligible for unemployment insurance (UI) benefits in Washington. SB 5777 would make striking workers eligible for UI at the earlier of the Sunday following the first day of the strike or the date the strike ends. Additionally, under current law, employees who are represented by a multi-employer bargaining unit are ineligible […]
10th of February 2022
Senate passes bill that would reduce unemployment insurance taxes
Yesterday the Senate passed ESSB 5873 by a vote of 48–1. As passed by the Senate, the bill would reduce the unemployment insurance (UI) cap on costs to be recovered by the social tax for 2022 and 2023. (For more background, see here.) In 2021, the social cost factor was limited to 0.5%. Under current […]
14th of January 2021
New brief: Unemployment Insurance Taxes Will Be a Headwind for the State Economy
Unemployment insurance tax rates are adjusted annually and will be much higher this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The amount of unemployment insurance tax paid by Washington businesses is expected to increase dramatically, from $1.12 billion in 2020 to $2.11 billion in 2021 and then to $2.99 billion in 2022. This rising UI tax […]
28th of December 2020
Washington will use federal CARES Act funds to provide “pandemic relief payments” in response to the lapse in federal unemployment insurance benefits
Earlier this month, Gov. Inslee announced that Washington would use $54.6 million of the state’s share of the federal Coronavirus Relief Fund (CRF) for unemployment insurance benefits for people in the federal Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) program, if the federal government didn’t act to extend the program before it was set to expire on Dec. […]
5th of July 2017
The state average wage increased in 2016, which will affect some state programs with benefits tied to it
According to the Employment Security Department, the average annual wage in the state increased to $58,957 in 2016. (The 4.8 percent increase over 2015 is apparently the largest percentage increase since 2007.) The 2016 average weekly wage was $1,133. This means that the minimum weekly unemployment benefit for new unemployment insurance claims will increase to […]
30th of December 2016
Roundup of year-end agency news
A number of agency announcements have made my inbox over the last month: Unemployment Insurance: The Employment Security Department announced this month that UI tax rates will remain the same for all rate classes in 2017. The average tax rate will be about 1.24 percent in 2017 (down from 1.38 percent in 2016). The average tax […]
7th of July 2016
Washington average wage increases — so will UI benefits and taxes and workers' comp COLAs
Last week the Employment Security Department (ESD) reported that the state's average annual wage was $56,273 in 2015 (a 2.6 percent increase over the previous year). This has implications for unemployment insurance (UI) benefits and taxes and workers' compensation benefits. According to ESD, for new claims, the minimum weekly unemployment benefit will increase from $158 […]
8th of March 2016
Audit finds $420,363 in UI benefits were improperly paid to people in jail
Yesterday the State Auditor's Office (SAO) released an audit that identified people who received unemployment insurance (UI) benefits while in jail (and thus likely ineligible for UI benefits). The audit covers the period of July 1, 2013 through September 30, 2014, and it looked at just eight jails (of 57). Still, it found 1,911 potential […]
24th of June 2015
Washington's average wage increases, affecting UI taxes and benefits
Today the Employment Security Department reported that Washington’s average annual wage was $54,829 last year (an increase of 4.2 percent over 2013). The average weekly wage was $1,054. Unemployment insurance (UI) benefits and taxes (and workers’ compensation benefits) are calculated based on the average annual wage. Consequently, for new claims, the minimum weekly unemployment benefit […]
12th of June 2013
Increase in state average wage will impact unemployment insurance and workers' comp
Today the Employment Security Department announced that Washington’s average annual wage was $51,595 in 2012. That’s up from $49,894 in 2011. Both unemployment insurance (UI) and workers’ compensation benefits are calculated using the average annual wage. As the announcement notes, The minimum weekly unemployment benefit, calculated at 15 percent of the average weekly wage, will […]