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 | Adjusted Insured UI Rate | Insured UI Volume | Year over Year Change in
Insured UI Volume |
||
| 1/22/2022 | 260,000 | – 30,000 | -576,000 | 1/15/2022 | 1.5% | 2,004,640 | -3,213,834 |
| 1/23/2021 | 836,000 | -50,000 | 1/16/2021 | 3.7% | 5,218,474 |
For more information, please visit https://www.dol.gov/sites/dolgov/files/OPA/newsreleases/ui-claims/20220144.pdf
VACCINE MANDATES –OSHA withdrawing private employer ETS
- In light of the Supreme Court ruling on January 13, 2022, OSHA is withdrawing the Emergency Temporary Standard (ETS) related to vaccination and testing policies for employers with more than 100 employees. For employers, this means that you have the flexibility to choose best practices to address COVID-19 concerns in the workplace. While the ETS has been withdrawn, the vaccine policy remains as a proposed permanent rule and can become permanent at some point in the future. Some states also have a state level OSHA plan, and each state will individually be responsible for their own next steps. For example, Minnesota has an OSHA state plan and has given notice that they will be suspending enforcement pending further developments.
FLORIDA – Florida has released their 1099-G Tax Forms
- Florida DEO has issued the 1099-G forms to claimants and these forms can be found in their Reemployment Assistance inbox online. If an individual received a 1099-G form and they did not file for benefits in 2021 and they believe they are a victim of identify theft, they can notify DEO at https://mobile.connect.myflorida.com/prweb/PRAuth/app/DEOReemp_/g1eNZfpW-iXvYsT47L1K1toiqe6SG1Pt*/!STANDARD. For more information about Fraud and Identity Theft, please visit our Knowledge Base at https://support.thomas-and-company.com/hc/en-us/categories/1500000053821-CLAIMS-FRAUD.
FLORIDA – Unemployment is down, so are the maximum weeks of benefits
- Beginning January 1, 2022, the maximum number of weeks unemployment benefits can be collected will decrease from 19 weeks to 12 weeks. Florida uses a formula to set the maximum number of weeks based on the overall unemployment rate in the state and reviews this as of the third quarter of each year. State law sets the number of weeks payable at 12 when unemployment is at or below 5.0% and then adds an additional week for every 0.5 percent over 5.0%. In the third quarter of 2020, the unemployment rate was 8.6% which set the maximum number of weeks at 19 during 2021. That rate fell to 4.8% as of the third quarter 2021. For employers, this means that the maximum potential liability on claims filed in 2022 will be lower.
PENNSYLVANIA – DOL to proactively offer credit-monitoring service the UI Claimants
- UI claimants in Pennsylvania will soon be offered free credit-monitoring services when they file for benefits. This proactive measure stems from an ongoing investigation within the PA UI System into unusual account changes. The Department of Labor & Industry indicates that there has been no confirmed data breach, but they are working with federal authorities looking into suspicious activity. For more information, please visit https://www.media.pa.gov/pages/labor-and-industry-details.aspx?newsid=651
TENNESSEE – Employees impacted by the December tornadoes can now file for Disaster Unemployment
- Workers whose jobs were impacted by December tornadoes in Cheatham, Davidson, Dickson, Gibson, Henderson, Henry, Lake, Obion, Stewart, Sumner, Weakley, and Wilson counties can now apply for Disaster Unemployment Assistance by visiting their local office or online. For more information, visit https://www.tn.gov/workforce/general-resources/news/2022/1/20/disaster-unemployment-available-in-twelve-tennessee-counties-.html.
