Connecticut issues slight reduction in maximum unemployment benefit rate

The Connecticut Labor Department”™s annual revision of the unemployment insurance benefit rate will result in claimants receiving a maximum amount of $613 per week ”“ $3 less than the current maximum rate ”“ effective Oct. 1.

Individuals who filed a claim prior to that date, and who have already been collecting unemployment insurance benefits, are unaffected by the revision.

The weekly dependency allowance for each dependent of $15 with a maximum of $75 remains unchanged.

The annual revision of the maximum weekly unemployment benefit is based on average manufacturing wages for the year ending June 30. That average was $1,022.91 from July 2016 to June 2017.

For the 12 months ending Aug. 31, unemployment insurance benefits averaged $364 per week and claimants received an average of 17.3 weeks of compensation. The prior year showed weekly benefit payments averaging $340 for an average of 17.2 weeks.

State unemployment benefits are funded by a separate assessment paid by approximately 98,200 Connecticut employers. The tax is based on the first $15,000 of each worker”™s annual wage.