REVISE UNEMPLOYMENT COMPENSATION BENEFITS

House Bill 6057

Sponsor: Rep. Jack Minore

Committee: Employment Relations, Training and Safety

Complete to 8-29-02

A SUMMARY OF HOUSE BILL 6057 AS INTRODUCED 5-9-02

House Bill 6057 would amend the Michigan Employment Security Act to increase the multiplier that is used to calculate an unemployed person's weekly benefit rate, from 4.1 percent to 4.4 percent. In addition, the bill would increase the 43 percent multiplier used to calculate the number of benefit weeks, specifying that the number of weeks of benefits payable to an individual would be calculated by taking 45 percent of the individual's base period wages and dividing the result by the individual's weekly benefit rate.

Currently under the law, an individual's weekly benefit rate is calculated at 4.1 percent of the wages paid in the calendar quarter of the base period in which the individual was paid the highest total wages, plus $6 for each dependent (up to a maximum of five dependents), except that the maximum weekly benefit rate cannot exceed $362. The bill would retain these provisions but specify that the weekly benefit rate would be calculated at 4.4 percent of the highest wages during the base period. Further, under current law, the number of weeks of benefits payable to an individual is calculated by taking 43 percent of the individual's base period wages and dividing the result by the individual's weekly benefit rate, but not more than 26 weeks or less than 14 weeks of benefits may be paid to an individual in a benefit year. The bill would retain these provisions but specify that the number of weeks of benefits would be calculated by taking 45 percent of the individual's base period wages and dividing by the weekly benefit rate.

MCL 421.27

 

Analyst: J. Hunault

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This analysis was prepared by nonpartisan House staff for use by House members in their deliberations, and does not constitute an official statement of legislative intent.