(The Legislature adjourned May 21; this represents the most recent report from the VDOL.)
Figure 2 shows the spike in suspected fraudulent claims.
Peak was April 25, 2020, and last bar is May 15, 2021
VDOL tables as prepared for the Legislature. Click HERE to see full report.
During the benefit week ending May 15th there were 28,406 weekly claims filed. This is a decrease of 3,750 continued claims filed over the previous benefit week. During the week ending May 15, $9,040,843 in benefits were paid out to claimants.
Claimants have started to enter work search information on weekly claims if they do not qualify for an exemption. Earlier last week, an issue prompted some claimants to enter work search information when they should have been exempt (e.g. self-employed, independent contractor, etc.) and others who were not prompted to enter work search information when they should have been.
Fri, 05/21/2021 - 1:41pm tim
by Timothy McQuiston, Vermont Business Magazine Regular weekly unemployment claims fell dramatically to pre-pandemic levels the last two weeks as the Vermont Department of Labor was able to eliminate the vast bulk of fraudulent claims by requiring new claimants to call the department directly. As the VDOL discovered, and other states have realized, criminal operations were barraging online systems with false claims. Also, the work search system technical issue at VDOL that surfaced on May 16 is now resolved. The Vermont work search requirement for unemployment insurance filers was reinstated on May 9.
Meanwhile, the Legislature is on the verge of removing 2020 from the unemployment calculation. If they hadn t, rates to employers would have escalated and the UI Trust Fund would have unnecessarily ballooned. Commissioner Michael Harrington had urged the Legislature to change the law regarding how employers are charged to meet the UI Trust Fund obligati
Fri, 05/07/2021 - 12:38pm tim
by Timothy McQuiston, Vermont Business Magazine Regular weekly unemployment claims continue to grow to their highest levels this year and remain at a very high level, as claimants were required to refile based on their annual eligibility. The Vermont Department of Labor has also reverted to call-in only for new claims, as the online system has been barraged by large numbers of fraudulent filings.
In addition, Commissioner Michael Harrington is urging the Legislature to change the law regarding how employers are charged to meet UI Trust Fund obligations (see his letter below).
The Vermont UI Trust Fund was well-stocked with over $500 million before the pandemic and is still flush with over $200 million. Despite the Stay Home order from a year ago and layoffs at their highest levels since the Great Depression because of the pandemic, current law would require a steep increase in employer charges because of those pandemic-related layoffs. At current l
Weekly unemployment claims keep moving up | Vermont Business Magazine vermontbiz.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from vermontbiz.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Fri, 04/09/2021 - 4:23pm tim
by Timothy McQuiston, Vermont Business Magazine Regular weekly unemployment claims continue at a very high level as claimants were required to refile. Labor Commissioner Michael Harrington said last that the pandemic hit one year ago. The annual refiling then triggered the increase. However, initial claims are nearly 15,000 fewer than the same time last year.
(see tables below)
On April 3, 2020, the Labor Department reported 1,761 new weekly filings, an increase of 250. This week s filings, which are a recent high, are, however, 14,713 fewer than the same time last year.
Nationally, claims unexpectedly rose back over 700,000. These remain historically high numbers.