US DOL Unemployment Weekly Claims Report
| Seasonally Adjusted (SA) Initial Claims Volume | Change from Prior Week | Year over Year Change in SA Initial Claims Volume | Unadjusted Insured UI Rate | Insured UI Volume | Year over Year Change in
Insured UI Volume |
||
| 4/02/2022 | 166,000* | -5,000* | -491,250 | 3/26/2022 | 1.2% | 1,650,788 | -2,351,242 |
| 4/03/2021 | 657,250 | -12,000 | 3/27/2021 | 2.8% | 4,002,030 |
*The data reflects a change in the methodology used to seasonally adjust the national initial claims and continued claims. For more information, please visit https://www.dol.gov/sites/dolgov/files/OPA/newsreleases/ui-claims/20220598.pdf
USDOL – Equitable Access Funding grants awarded to Alabama, Idaho, Missouri, and New Mexico
- The COVID-19 pandemic brought to light challenges across the US related to the Unemployment Insurance program. Individuals seeking benefits faced a number of challenges being able to apply for benefits or getting answers to questions that they had. These barriers were identified and the USDOL set aside $260 million in grants to help states address the gaps. $15.9 million in equity grants were recently awarded to Alabama, Idaho, Missouri, and New Mexico. These grants can be used to support projects that promote awareness of the UI program, simplify the instructions for filing, provide translation services for non-English speaking claimants, enhance the technology used by the state, and to increase staffing which was at historical lows at the beginning of the pandemic. The funding can also be used to address needs of disadvantaged communities that may not have ready access to technology or services. Earlier this year, grants were awarded in the District of Columbia, Oregon, Pennsylvania, and Virginia.
MISSISSIPPI – 2022 Tax Rates Delayed
- The Mississippi Department of Employment Security has confirmed that the 2022 employer tax rate calculations have yet to be finalized. As a result, the Department does not have an anticipated mail date for these notices. We will continue to check in with the Department and provide updates to you as they become available. Until that time, we would suggest using your 2021 tax rate assignment should you have to file your first quarter 2022 tax return before these notices are issued and absent of any further guidance from the Department. As always feel free to contact our office with any questions.
UTAH – Updates Vaccine Mandate Exemptions
- Effective May 3, 2022, Utah will add a new exemption to the vaccine mandates for employees who can provide a letter from their primary care provider that they were previously infected with COVID-19. Governor Spencer Cox singed HB63 that allows employers to mandate vaccines as a condition of employment as long as they abide by the following exemptions: (1) if receiving the vaccine would be injurious to the health and wellbeing of the employee or prospective employee; (2) if receiving the vaccine would conflict with a sincerely held religious belief, practice, or observance of the employee or prospective employee; or (3) if receiving the vaccine would conflict with a “sincerely held personal belief” of the employee or prospective employee. The new law also mandates that no adverse actions can be taken against the employee in accordance with the law and defines adverse actions as refusal to hire, termination, demotion, or reduction of the employee’s wages. The new law expressly states that reassignment of an employee is not an adverse action if the employee’s vaccination status is the only reason for reassignment. The new law only applies to private employers and does not apply to individuals subject to the CMS or Federal Contractor COVID-19 vaccine rules. For more information on HB 63, please visit https://le.utah.gov/~2022/bills/static/HB0063.html
WASHINGTON – Addressing the Appeal Backlog
- Washington State is implementing an Emergency Rule effective April 4, 2022, to address the backlog of pending appeals from the pandemic. They are adopting a “brief adjudicative proceeding” for claimant appeals where there is no employer involved as the interested party. This emergency rule should have no impact on any appeals that you have pending but will assist the Department and the Office of Administrative Hearings work through the backlog of 40,947 pending appeals as of Dec.31, 2021. For reference, this is more than twice the totals for 2020 and nearly 20 times more appeals than they had in 2019.
