COLORADO – AVOID DELINQUENT PREMIUM PENALTY ASSESSMENT: PAY ALL UI PREMIUMS BY JUNE 30
Colorado employers are warned that any delinquent Unemployment Insurance premiums must be paid by Monday, June 30, 2025 to avoid penalty assessments in 2026. If an employer fails to pay any premiums in full by the June 30 deadline, penalty assessments will be equal to the amount of past due premiums, or 1% of taxable payroll, whichever is less.
If necessary, employers can request a payment plan prior to June 30, which will waive the 2026 penalty assessment.
Additional information on interest and penalties can be found here.
DID YOU KNOW? MERGERS & ACQUISITIONS: UNEMPLOYMENT CLAIMS PROCESS
This week, as we continue to explore the wide-ranging impacts of mergers and acquisitions across your organization, we continue looking to the world of unemployment. Beyond the SUI tax impact we discussed last week, M&A activity can have a major impact on your unemployment claims process. Understanding the information needed during this type of transaction can help make these transitions smooth and your unemployment program running seamlessly.
Visit our website to learn more and keep an eye out as we post weekly to help keep you informed!
MISSOURI – DISASTER UNEMPLOYMENT ASSISTANCE AVAILABLE FOR MAY 16 STORMS
Disaster Unemployment Assistance (DUA) is now available for those impacted by severe storms, including straight-line winds, tornadoes, and flooding that occurred on May 16. Assistance may now be available to impacted individuals in Scott and St. Louis counties as well as the City of St. Louis.
As a reminder, DUA is an unemployment insurance benefit made available after a disaster and is only available to individuals who:
- Have applied for and used all regular unemployment benefits from any state, or do not qualify for unemployment benefits.
- Worked or were self-employed or scheduled to begin work or self-employment in the disaster area.
- Can no longer work or perform services because of physical damage or destruction to the place of employment as a direct result of the disaster.
- Establish that the work or self-employment they can no longer perform was their primary source of income.
- Cannot perform work or self-employment because of an injury as a direct result of the disaster.
- Became the breadwinner or major support of a household because of the death of the head of household.
To file a DUA claim online 24/7, visit uinteract.labor.mo.gov/benefits. For assistance with filing a claim, call the Regional Claims Center Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. at (888) 369-1090. The application deadline is August 8, 2025.
Missourians impacted by these severe storms, straight-line winds, and tornados in all declared counties can also register for additional assistance by calling the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) at (800) 621-3362, TTY (800) 462-7585, or register with FEMA online at DisasterAssistance.gov.
NEW YORK – WEEKLY BENEFIT AMOUNT INCREASE IN OCTOBER 2025
As reported in the May 7th Thomas & Company Industry News and Updates bulletin, Governor Kathy Hochul plans on using the New York’s budget agreement to fully pay off the state’s unemployment debt. For the last several years, scheduled increases to the maximum weekly benefit amount had been frozen because of the federal UI loan. Now, with the UI Trust Fund loan being paid off, New York will unfreeze increases to benefits.
Beginning in October, the maximum weekly benefit amount will increase from $504 per week to $869 per week.
NEVADA – EMPLOYER PORTAL DOWNTIME BEGINNING JUNE 30
Nevada’s Department of Employment, Training, and Rehabilitation (DETR) Unemployment Insurance Division will be updating their Employer Self-Service portal to provide users new features. In order to do so, current portal access will be unavailable beginning June 30 at 4PM PDT through Monday, July 7 at 8:00AM PDT. During this time, you will be unable to log in to your Employer Self-Service account nor contact DETR staff by phone, email, or in-person. Therefore, it is advised that you submit any urgent responses before June 30 4PM PDT to ensure timeliness.
Thomas & Company is actively working with Nevada to determine if there are any action items needed for our clients. We will communicate any necessary next steps and/or additional updates as they are known.
OKLAHOMA – DISASTER UNEMPLOYMENT ASSISTANCE AVAILABLE FOR MAY 16 STORMS
Disaster Unemployment Assistance (DUA) is now available for those impacted by severe storms, including wildfires and straight-line winds that occurred on March 14, 2025 through March 21, 2025. Assistance may now be available to impacted individuals in Cleveland, Creek, Lincoln, Logan, Oklahoma, Pawnee and Payne counties.
All individuals must file an unemployment insurance claim at https://oklahoma.gov/oesc/individuals. For more information or questions, individuals can call the Unemployment Service Center at 405-525-1500 or visit one of the OESC’s field offices. The application deadline is July 21, 2025.
OREGON – UNEMPLOYMENT WEEKLY BENEFIT AMOUNT INCREASE
Beginning with claims filed on or after June 29, 2025, the weekly benefit amounts for unemployment benefits will increase. Based on the state’s average weekly wage, which increased year-over-year, the minimum weekly benefit amount will increase to $204, up from $196. Meanwhile, the maximum weekly benefit amount will increase to $872, up from $836.
OREGON – AVOID PENALTY ASSESSMENT: PAY ALL UI PREMIUMS AND FILE ALL TAX REPORTS BY SEPTEMBER 1
Employers will begin to be notified of missing tax report filings and tax payments beginning on June 30. At this time, employers will receive notice of any missing filings and/or tax payments, along with information about the potential penalties.
Employers will then have until September 1, 2025 to rectify any issues. Failure to ensure tax report filings and tax payments by September 1 will result in a penalty of 1% of taxable payroll from the prior calendar year.
WASHINGTON – NEW CHANGE OF ADDRESS NOTIFICATION REQUIREMENT
Beginning July 7, 2025, new language will be on the books in Washington state requiring employers to notify the Employment Security Department (ESD) when a business changes its address. An update must be provided to the EDS in writing within 30 days of the address change and should include the company’s ESD number, the previous address, and the current (new) address.
While employers have always been required to keep their information up-to-date with the ESD, this new rule adds explicit language indicating this requirement, though no penalties were outlined.
Legislative Updates
OREGON – BILL FOR STRIKING WORKERS HEADS TO GOVERNOR’S DESK
Legislation in Oregon, providing unemployment benefits for striking workers, has officially passed through both chambers and is now headed to Governor Tina Kotek’s desk for signature.
SB 916B would repeal the law that denies benefits to individuals in an active labor dispute. The bill, which would provide benefits for striking workers after a two week waiting period. Included in the bill are stipulations of repayment should an individual later receive back pay from their employer. The final version of the bill brought down the number of allowable weeks of benefits, including 10 weeks of benefits (compared to 26 weeks in previous versions).
Previously, Governor Kotek indicated she would sign the bill.
