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Friday, November 12, 2010

The Unemployment Trust Fund (UTF): State Insolvency and Federal Loans to States


Julie M. Whittaker
Specialist in Income Security

During some recessions, current taxes and reserve balances were insufficient to cover state expenditures for unemployment compensation (UC) benefits. UC benefits are an entitlement, and states are legally required to pay benefits even if the state account is insolvent. Some states may borrow funds from the Federal Unemployment Account (FUA) within the Unemployment Trust Fund (UTF) to meet UC benefit obligations. The 2009 stimulus package (The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, P.L. 111-5 § 2004) temporarily waives interest payments and the accrual of interest on these loans to states from the FUA.

This report summarizes how insolvent states may borrow funds from the federal account within the UTF to meet their UC benefit obligations. Outstanding loans listed by state may be found at the Department of Labor’s website: http://www.workforcesecurity.doleta.gov/unemploy/ budget.asp#tfloans.

Michigan has just completed its first year of a credit reduction. As a result, the credit reduction was applied retroactively to tax year 2009 earnings and the net FUTA tax during 2009 for Michigan employers is 1.1% on the first $7,000 of each employee’s earnings. No other state currently has a credit reduction; thus, in all other states the net FUTA 2009 tax was 0.8%.

As of this writing, no state has an active credit reduction. However, given the current status of the trust fund accounts of Michigan, Indiana, and South Carolina, these three states are likely to have a credit reduction imposed on November 10, 2010 (the date when credit reductions for the 2010 tax year are determined).



Date of Report: October 29, 2010
Number of Pages: 15
Order Number: RS22954
Price: $29.95

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