Tables of Answers to Frequently Asked Questions - By State

RATINGS FAQs

How are rates determined? Is mine high or low?

• How do we stack up? Do we pay more than the average employer in our state?
• New Employer Rates: I am a new employer. How long before I am rated? What's the rating period? When do I pay? Do I get a break because I'm a new employer?
  
• Company Size: But I am such a small employer; How big do I really have to be to pay this tax?
• Independent Contractors: But these aren't my "employees". They are independent contractors. Do I still have to bother with this tax?
• Tax Exempt: So who do I NOT have to pay the tax on?
• Tax Rating Systems: How do they figure out what tax rate I have to pay?
  • What's a "Benefit Ratio?"
  • What's a "Reserve Ratio?"
  • What's a "Benefit Wage Ratio?"
  • What's a "Payroll Decline?"
• Voluntary Contributions: I heard that you can pay a little extra and get a better rate. Is this true?
  • How much time do they give me to submit my Voluntary Contribution?
• Wage Base: What is a Taxable Wage Base?
• Misconduct Charged: I fought this claim and proved misconduct. So why am I getting charged for this claim?
• Strikers Charged: Do you actually have to pay Unemployment on workers who went out on strike?
• What are all the other little taxes that come and go on my rate notice from year to year?

ELIGIBILITY FAQs

What does the claimant have to do to become eligible for unemployment?

• Does the claimant have to be looking for a job to collect Unemployment?
• Benefit Year:
  • What is a Benefit Year?
  • Is that the same as Base Period?
• Earnings Requirement: How much does someone have to earn before they can collect?
• Work Requirements: How long does someone have to work before they can collect?
• Voluntary Quits: Can a worker actually quit work on purpose and still collect unemployment?

APPEAL FAQs

How hard is it to get a claim denied in my state? How do I go about it?

• Denial rates for separation issues by state
• Denial rates for non-separation issues by state
• Appeal Time Limits: I lost my case. How long do I have to appeal? Where do I go? Can I appeal more than once?
• Appeal Time Limits: I lost my appeal. Where do I go next? How long do I have?

LIABILITY FAQs

How much is a claim going to cost me?

• What percent of wages goes into Unemployment taxes?
• What about FUTA? Where does it go? What does it do?
• Who gets charged for a claim?
• What is a Base Period?
• Can I see a calendar chart of the Base Period?
• Benefit Amounts: How much should I be charged for someone who collects?

Links

How can I find out more?

• How can I find Other Web Resources?
• How can I find State Web Sites?
• How can I find State Unemployment Statutes?
• How can I find State Unemployment Case Law?
• How can I find Federal Web Sites?
• Where can I find articles on Unemployment?