How Does Your State Fare?

Take a look at the Unemployment Insurance Benefits Calculator at www.epinet.org

Not only do unemployment insurance (UI) benefits vary widely depending on a worker’s wage level and number of dependents, but every state is also allowed to set its own benefit levels, resulting in great disparities between states. The Economic Policy Institute’s latest web feature, the UI Calculator, estimates the weekly benefit allowance an unemployed worker would receive in every state, provides the state’s overall national rank, and compares its benefits to more and less generous states.

Since its inception in 1935, UI has operated as the primary safety net for those who lose their jobs through no fault of their own. Although the UI system’s broad guidelines were established by federal law, UI essentially operates as a state-level program. Each state determines its own rules governing matters such as benefit levels, eligibility, and revenue. Many states will be exploring ways to reform UI in the 2002 legislative sessions to better serve American workers.