What's Going On With Unemployment Insurance Benefits Compensation Extensions?
9/25/2016 Update: Still no update; same as below. There are NO FEDERAL unemployment extensions these days. There are no EUC08 benefits available for 2016. In fact, some Republican-led states offer 20 or fewer weeks of unemployment benefits, which you can see on the map and chart below. As long as the unemployment rate continues to go down, don't expect any more unemployment benefit extensions. However, a few states have programs that provide some extra weeks of unemployment benefits. Massachusetts, for instance, has a "Section 30" program providing extra weeks of benefits if people are in approved training. Please check with your state Department of Labor to determine if your state has any such programs, and, if so, what the requirements of such programs are.
11/5/2015 Update: Still no update. There are NO FEDERAL unemployment extensions these days. There are no EUC08 benefits available for 2015. In fact, some Republican-led states offer 20 or fewer weeks of unemployment benefits, which you can see on the map and chart below. As long as the unemployment rate continues to go down, don't expect any more unemployment benefit extensions. However, a few states have programs that provide some extra weeks of unemployment benefits. Massachusetts, for instance, has a "Section 30" program providing extra weeks of benefits if people are in approved training. Please check with your state Department of Labor to determine if your state has any such programs, and, if so, what the requirements of such programs are.
1/31/2015 Update: Well, no update. There are NO unemployment extensions these days. In fact, some Republican-led states offer 20 or fewer weeks of unemployment benefits, which you can see on the map and chart below. As long as the unemployment rate continues to go down, don't expect any more unemployment benefit extensions.
8/3/2014 Update: The Republicans in the House blocked the Senate-approved bill to extend unemployment benefits that is mentioned below; it was never brought to a vote. And last week the Republican-led House of Representatives went on their 5 week August vacation. It is doubtful that extended unemployment benefits will be approved. The map in blue below show the current number of weeks that people can expect to get unemployment insurance. The best synopsis of the current situation is presented HERE, by Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont).
From the article: "Democrats have met every condition that Republicans have set forth to extend the program. We have agreed to offset the cost of the program, despite the fact that House Republicans have passed more than $700 billion in unpaid-for tax cuts, largely for big corporations. We have agreed to extend the program prospectively, rather than retroactively. And we have urged connecting the legislation to a jobs package such as legislation to extend Highway Trust Fund.
By wide margins, Americans favor extending the program. Still, Republicans continue to block a single vote in the House.The fight to renew unemployment insurance has always been about those who are most affected. This is about the forgotten Americans struggling just to make ends meet. Hundreds of people like Josephine have contacted my office to share their heart-breaking stories and ask for support from Congress. We hear them, we stand with them, and we urge House Republicans to end their resistance to an extension."
We need to remember that the Republicans have repeatedly blocked job creation bills, even those that help veterans, and that the Republicans consider anti-environmental and anti-regulatory bills as "job creation" bills.
4/30/2014 Update: The Senate did approve a bill to extend unemployment benefits retroactively to December 28, 2013. That bill was passed by the Senate April 7. As of April 30, 2014, the House, led by Republican Speaker John Boehner, has refused to consider the bill even though it is paid for. Republican Boehner apparently claims that there are no "job creation" measures in the bill. We need to remember that the Republicans have repeatedly blocked job creation bills, even those that help veterans, and that the Republicans consider anti-environmental and anti-regulatory bills as "job creation" bills.
3/13/2014 Update: The Senate apparently has come to a deal to extend unemployment benefits. However, it will need to be approved by the Senate and then sent to the House before it becomes law. It will not be voted on by the whole Senate before March 24th, and, if it musters the sixty votes needed for passage in the Senate, it will then need to go to the House. Its fate in the House is not certain. The compromise bill would, if it does become law, provide benefits retroactive to December 28, 2013.
Important Note: ALL extended unemployment benefits expired the week ending December 28, 2013.
MORE HERE: Unemployment Extensions Expire: What Does That Mean?
Below is the map from the Center on Budget and Priority Policies with maximum weeks of unemployment that are available now, in late 2016, after unemployment extensions expired and were not renewed. The link above at the Center on Budget and Priority Policies explains why some states have more or less than 26 weeks of benefits available.
The table below (from The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities HERE) shows the information above in list form; that is, the latest three-month average unemployment rate for each state over July-September 2015, as well as the maximum number of weeks of UI benefits currently available in each state through regular UI. The maximum number of weeks of UI benefits have been updated for 2016, but the 3 month unemployment average has not yet been updated.
Unemployment Rates and Weeks of Unemployment Insurance (UI) Available
| ||
State
|
Unemployment (3 month avg.)
|
Reg. UI available
|
Alabama
|
6.1%
|
26 weeks
|
Alaska
|
6.6%
|
26 weeks
|
Arizona
|
6.2%
|
26 weeks
|
Arkansas
|
5.4%
|
20 weeks
|
California
|
6.1%
|
26 weeks
|
Colorado
|
4.2%
|
26 weeks
|
Connecticut
|
5.3%
|
26 weeks
|
Delaware
|
4.8%
|
26 weeks
|
District of Columbia
|
6.8%
|
26 weeks
|
Florida
|
5.3%
|
12 weeks
|
Georgia
|
5.9%
|
14 weeks
|
Hawaii
|
3.5%
|
26 weeks
|
Idaho
|
4.2%
|
26 weeks
|
Illinois
|
5.6%
|
26 weeks
|
Indiana
|
4.6%
|
26 weeks
|
Iowa
|
3.7%
|
26 weeks
|
Kansas
|
4.5%
|
16 weeks
|
Kentucky
|
5.1%
|
26 weeks
|
Louisiana
|
6.1%
|
26 weeks
|
Maine
|
4.5%
|
26 weeks
|
Maryland
|
5.1%
|
26 weeks
|
Massachusetts
|
4.6%
|
30 weeks
|
Michigan
|
5.1%
|
20 weeks
|
Minnesota
|
3.9%
|
26 weeks
|
Mississippi
|
6.3%
|
26 weeks
|
Missouri
|
5.6%
|
13 weeks
|
Montana
|
4.1%
|
28 weeks
|
Nebraska
|
2.8%
|
26 weeks
|
Nevada
|
6.8%
|
26 weeks
|
New Hampshire
|
3.6%
|
26 weeks
|
New Jersey
|
5.7%
|
26 weeks
|
New Mexico
|
6.7%
|
26 weeks
|
New York
|
5.2%
|
26 weeks
|
North Carolina
|
5.9%
|
13 weeks
|
North Dakota
|
2.9%
|
26 weeks
|
Ohio
|
4.7%
|
26 weeks
|
Oklahoma
|
4.5%
|
26 weeks
|
Oregon
|
6.1%
|
26 weeks
|
Pennsylvania
|
5.4%
|
26 weeks
|
Puerto Rico
|
11.6%
|
26 weeks
|
Rhode Island
|
5.6%
|
26 weeks
|
South Carolina
|
6.0%
|
20 weeks
|
South Dakota
|
3.6%
|
26 weeks
|
Tennessee
|
5.7%
|
26 weeks
|
Texas
|
4.2%
|
26 weeks
|
Utah
|
3.6%
|
26 weeks
|
Vermont
|
3.6%
|
26 weeks
|
Virgin Islands
|
7.3%
|
26 weeks
|
Virginia
|
4.5%
|
26 weeks
|
Washington
|
5.3%
|
26 weeks
|
West Virginia
|
7.5%
|
26 weeks
|
Wisconsin
|
4.5%
|
26 weeks
|
Wyoming
|
4.0%
|
26 weeks
|
