Iowa Workforce Development announced on Wednesday there will be an increase to the amount of maximum weekly benefits paid to unemployed Iowans and to workers injured on the job beginning Sunday.
A statutorily required annual review of wages covered by unemployment insurance has triggered the increase. The average annual wage for insured Iowa workers increased to $52,130.71 in 2020, up from $48,455.86 in 2019.
Under Iowa law, the number of people covered by unemployment insurance and their gross wages are primary elements of a formula Iowa Workforce Development uses each year to compute maximum and minimum benefit amounts paid to jobless workers.
Iowa Workforce Development officials noted that about half of those eligible for unemployment insurance benefits have enough earnings to qualify for the maximum benefit. The 2022 taxable wage base will be $34,800.
The new benefit payment schedules apply to individuals who file new unemployment insurance claims for the week beginning Sunday and to workers injured on or after today. Individuals currently receiving benefits from state or federal programs will continue to receive the same weekly benefit amount.
Beginning today, the workers’ compensation maximum weekly benefit for temporary total disability, healing period, permanent total disability and death will rise to $2,005. For permanent partial disability, the weekly maximum will be $1,845.
Information about the weekly benefits is available in the 2020-21 Unemployment Insurance Claimant Handbook.
