News for Unemployment Insurance

Workers and employers scored a big win when Gov. Inslee recently signed AGC-backed Senate Bill 5355. This bill sponsored by Sen. Janéa Holmquist Newbry R-Moses Lake brings Washington’s unemployment insurance system into conformity with federal regulations which is expected to save the state and ...

On February 11 the Governor signed bills SB 5135 and ESHB 1091 lowering unemployment insurance tax rates for 80 percent of all small businesses. AGC supported the measures which were touted as part of the Governor’s jobs package. The legislation represents a significant positive step forward for...

Legislation to reduce businesses’ unemployment insurance taxes took a turn for the worse when the House Labor and Workforce Development Committee inserted a provision that adds a new dependent care benefit and strikes the training benefit requested by the Governor. AGC supports the tax deferral ...

Governor Gregoire’s proposed $300 million reduction in unemployment insurance tax increases took its first legislative step when the House Committee on Labor and Workforce Development held a public hearing last week. Time is of the essence as legislation needs to be enacted by Feb. 8 in order to...

by David DHondt AGC Executive Vice President After years of urging state leaders to address the state’s burdensome workers’ comp and unemployment systems the construction industry received some welcome positive news from Olympia this week. On Tuesday the Governor announced policy changes that i...

AGC is helping to lead a broad based business coalition to support legislation to improve the unemployment insurance system. SB 5963 addresses the fact that the state system does not currently conform to federal rules. Plus the measure right sizes the unemployment insurance fund by slightly red...

As reported by the Association of Washington Business in a recent unanimous opinion that is nothing short of astonishing the Washington Supreme Court bluntly erased a thoroughly negotiated battleground tested foundational component of our states Unemployment Insurance system -- its statutory excl...