According to Associated Industries of Massachusetts, reform of the state’s unemployment insurance system could save employers more than $366 million.
AIM testified before the legislature’s joint committee on labor and workforce development during a public hearing on a proposed unemployment insurance reform bill.
Should the bill become law, it would change requirements for unemployment insurance and bring the cost of that insurance in line with what employers in other states pay.
AIM said Massachusetts’ higher wages, lenient qualification requirements and generous benefits structure have led to average unemployment insurance costs of $619 per employee.
By comparison, employers in Rhode Island pay an average of $512 per employee. In New Hampshire, employers pay $152.
The proposed bill seeks to increase the number of weeks worked to be eligible to collect benefits. It also seeks to establish a maximum number of weeks to receive benefits, among other provisions.
