Legislature works to reform Vermont unemployment
Now that Vermont has had to start borrowing federal money in order to pay unemployment checks, the Vermont Senate Economic Development committee is working to reform the state’s bankrupt unemployment fund. The committee is trying to strike a balance between the financial burden of the reform on employers and labor. The proposed plan would raise unemployment taxes for businesses over a three-year period, bringing it from the current base of $10,000 up to $18,000. Maximum weekly benefit checks for the unemployed would go down from $425 to $400, and there would also be more strict guidelines around who may qualify for benefits.(Source: WCAX)