Idaho Bills

Amends existing law to revise provisions regarding benefit entitlement such that the duration of unemployment benefits will vary depending on the unemployment rate.

This legislation will index unemployment benefits to the state's unemployment rate. Under current law, Idaho gives 20 weeks of unemployment benefits - nearly 5 months - to workers regardless of the state's current unemployment rate. This bill sets a floor for unemployment benefits at 12 weeks, or 3 months when the state unemployment rate is 5%. For each subsequent 0.5% increase in the state's unemployment rate an additional week of benefits is added for a maximum total of 20 week of benefits at 8.5%. The U.S. Department of Labor considers a 5% unemployment rate to be "full employment."