Coloradans receiving unemployment benefits as part of a federal extension are beginning to see an 18.2 percent reduction in compensation as a result of the across-the-board U.S. government spending cuts.
The cuts apply specifically to federal extensions known as Emergency Unemployment Compensation (EUC), which is a tiered system for paying the unemployed once their state unemployment benefits expire. The extensions were created in the depths of the economic downturn and are based on a state’s overall unemployment rate.
“As of April, there was about 21,000 EUC claims in Colorado. We were given guidance by the U.S. Department of Labor to implement a reduction in those federal benefits and the reduction amount was based on how soon we could implement those cuts,” said Cher Haavind, director of government, policy and public relations for Colorado Department of Labor.
Chosen excerpts by Job Market Monitor
via Colorado jobless beginning to see cuts to unemployment benefits – The Denver Post.
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Some unemployment benefits in Washington to drop 21 percent
State officials say federal automatic budget cuts will lower an unemployment-benefits program for people in Washington.
The Employment Security Department announced Wednesday that beginning on May 19 “emergency unemployment compensation” will be reduced by 21.08 percent under the so-called sequester. Emergency unemployment compensation is a federally funded program that is available for people who run out of state-funded benefits.
In Washington, state-funded unemployment runs for 26 weeks. Unemployed workers can receive up to 37 weeks of assistance divided into three tiers under the emergency unemployment compensation program.
For example, people receiving the current minimum weekly of $143 will be reduced to $112 as they enter another tier.
The department says about 40,000 Washingtonians are nearing the end of their state-funded unemployment benefits or already receive the federal-backed assistance.
Chosen excerpts by Job Market Monitor
via Some unemployment benefits in Washington to drop 21 percent | The Today File | Seattle Times.
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