West Virginia legislation proposes reducing Unemployment Eligibility to 12 Weeks
West Virginia legislators are reviewing two ideas to alter the duration of jobless benefits for individuals.
Senate Bill 840 was referred to rules on Wednesday to be scheduled for a third reading and vote in the Senate.
The law proposes capping unemployment benefits at 12 weeks, except when the state’s unemployment rate reaches 5.5%. The January unemployment rate was reported as 4.3% in a news release on Wednesday.
If the state unemployment rate reaches 9.0% or above, the timetable will be limited to 20 weeks. Currently, the state permits 26 weeks of benefits.
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The bill mandates eligible individuals to actively search for full-time employment by completing four weekly work search activities, such as utilizing the state labor exchange system, registering for the system, utilizing reemployment services at a job center, and submitting a job application as proof.
Weekly unemployment benefits will be limited to 55% of the state’s average weekly earnings, with a maximum limitation of $550. Unemployment rate wage ranges will be reassessed annually.
Senate Bill 841, a second proposal, was scheduled for a second reading on Wednesday and is not expected to progress soon.
The proposal includes a 55% cap on the weekly jobless wage rate and upholds the 26-week maximum for benefits.
