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 |
||
| 6/11/2022 | 229,000 | -3,000 | -191,000 | 6/04/2022 | 0.9% | 1,272,391 | -2,025,597 |
| 6/12/2021 | 429,000 | +9,000 | 6/05/2021 | 2.4% | 3,297,988 |
For more information, please visit https://www.dol.gov/sites/dolgov/files/OPA/newsreleases/ui-claims/20221227.pdf
CALIFORNIA– EDD Blocked Paper and Fax Claim Fraud Attempt
- California recently announced that an attempt was made using paper and fax applications to fraudulently apply for unemployment benefits. As many as 47,000 claims were filed in May that have been flagged as potentially fraudulent. The verification process of these claims may slow benefits to those that legitimately filed for benefits using a paper form or by faxing in an application. If your employees receive a notification in the mail and they did not file a claim, they should report the fraud using the form or by calling 1-866-401-2849 or online at https://askedd.edd.ca.gov/AskEDD/s/categorydetails?category=Report_Fraud.
MINNESOTA– Applications for the Front-Line Worker/Hero Bonuses are Open
- Essential workers who worked at least 120 hours between 3/15/2020 and 6/30/2021 can apply now to see if they could qualify for a bonus from the state up to $1,500. Applications are being accepted at https://frontlinepay.mn.gov/submit through July 22, 2022, at 5:00 pm Central Time. Applicants will need to meet the eligibility requirements to qualify. The general requirements are to have been unemployed less than 20 weeks between 3/15/2020 and 6/21/2021, work in an approved job sector, and had to work within 6 feet of someone they did not live with. Employees do not have to be residents of Minnesota to apply but they must perform their duties in Minnesota. There are also certain income restrictions. Employees do not need any documentation from their employer to apply. For more information on the requirements, employees can visit https://frontlinepay.mn.gov/submit.
TEXAS– Replacement Coming for Employer Registration and Report Filing Applications
- Texas announced that they will be replacing several employer facing systems with a single consolidated portal. The go live date for the new system has not yet been announced. When the new system goes live, employers and agents will need to create a new user profile, password, and security questions the first time they login to the new system. Your TWC account number will remain the same and any history from the prior systems will transfer to the new system. TWC will provide detailed instruction on creating a new profile in advance of the go live date. The systems that will be impacted include Unemployment Tax Registration (UTR), Unemployment Tax Services (UTS), QuickFile, Go Anywhere portal, and Magnetic Media. For more information or to check for updates, please visit https://www.twc.texas.gov/businesses/new-system-announcements.
WASHINGTON– 2021 Average Annual Wage Increase Announced
- Washington uses the state’s average annual wage to calculate the weekly benefits amounts, taxable wage bases, and paid family and medical leave benefit amounts. The average annual wage increased 7.5% in 2021 to $83,508. As a result, any new claims filed after July 3, 2022, will see an increase in the minimum weekly benefit amount by $22 to $317, and the maximum weekly benefit amount will increase by $70 to $999. Employers should also be prepared that beginning in 2023, the taxable wage base will increase to $67,600, up from $62,500 in 2022. The maximum paid family and medical leave benefit will be $1,427 for any leave benefits filed on or after January 1, 2023. The minimum paid leave benefit will remain at $100.
