Status of the Unemployment Trust Fund and Related Issues Commission on Unemployment Compensation August 8, 2018 Ellen Marie Hess, Commissioner
2 Trust Fund Data Standard Forecast (Millions of Dollars) 2017 2018 January 1 Balance $949.6 $1,132.2 Tax Revenue $492.0 $421.4 Interest Revenue $24.7 $29.0 Benefits $334.1 $322.3 December 31 Balance $1,132.2 $1,260.3 Solvency Level (6/30) 76.0% 79.2%
Millions 3 June 30 Trust Fund Balances and Solvency (Forecast as of July 6, 2018) $1,600 $1,400 $1,200 $1,000 $800 $600 $757 64% $564 40% $825 57% $1,029 68% $1,194 76% $1,345 $1,300 $1,291 79% 74% 72% $400 $291 24% $335 24% $200 $135 9% $0 -$200 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 ($104) ($80) -8% -6% Trust Fund Solvency shown as a percent (%)
Cost per Employee Average Total State Tax (Forecast as of July 6, 2018) 4 $250 $16.00 $16.00 $200 $16.00 $37.60 $42.40 $30.40 $16.00 $17.60 $16.00 $11.20 $150 $16.00 $22.40 $5.60 $2.40 Fund Builder Pool $100 $1.60 $6.40 $127.60 $161.40 $177.60 $187.60 $187.40 $166.60 $151.40 $131.60 $0.80 $1.60 $4.00 Base $50 $97.40 $96.60 $99.20 $88.40 $92.00 $0 $99 $103 $166 $215 $236 $234 $221 $194 $157 $134 $100 $90 $96 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 Calendar Year
Pool Taxes (Forecast as of July 6, 2018) 5 45 $42.40 40 $37.60 35 Cost per Employee 30 25 20 15 10 5 0 $30.40 $22.40 $17.60 $11.20 $6.40 $5.60 $4.00 $2.40 $1.60 $1.60 $0.80 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 Calendar Year
Distribution of 2017 and 2018 Base Tax Rates Computed and Assigned Rates 6 Tax Rates Number of Employers Percent of Total Computed 2017* 2018** 2017* 2018** 0.10% 137,329 146,813 64.5% 68.4% 0.12%-0.94% 11,856 12,182 5.6% 5.7% 1.00%-1.89% 8,012 8,540 3.8% 4.0% 2.00%-2.97% 5,990 5,214 2.8% 2.4% 3.00%-3.91% 3,703 3,404 1.7% 1.6% 4.00%-4.99% 2,970 2,272 1.4% 1.1% 5.00%-5.94% 1,994 1,736 0.9% 0.8% 6.00%-6.12% 215 356 0.1% 0.2% 6.20% 11,152 8,699 5.2% 4.1% Assigned New, 2.50% 27,967 22,791 13.1% 10.6% Delinquent, 6.20% 1,412 2,173 0.7% 1.0% Foreign Contractor, 6.20% 195 238 0.1% 0.1% Other, 6.20% 101 291 0.0% 0.2% Total 212,799 214,709 100.0% 100.0% Taxable wage base is $8,000. *excluding 0.03% pool tax. **excluding 0.01% pool tax.
Claims Filed 7 Calendar Year Initial Claims 2013 276,807 2014 224,882 2015 186,887 2016 178,422 2017 150,450 2018 (Jan. Jun.) 69,940* * Annual claims projected to be 134,000.
8 UI Initial Claims 2016-2018 (year to date) Total initial claims through June 2018 were down 11.3% because of fewer layoffs in manufacturing, administrative and support services, and retail trade. 21,000 19,000 17,000 15,000 13,000 11,000 9,000 Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec 2016 2017 2018
UI Final Payments 9 2016-2018 (year to date) For the first six months of 2018, final payments are down 13.3% from 2017 and 26.2% from 2016. 3,500 3,300 3,100 2,900 2,700 2,500 2,300 2,100 1,900 1,700 Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec 2016 2017 2018
Exhaustion Rate 10 Exhaustion Rates 2016-2018 (year to date) The exhaustion rate in June was 37.9%, up from last June s 37.6%. 41.0% 40.5% 40.0% 39.5% 39.0% 38.5% 38.0% 37.5% 37.0% Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec 2016 2017 2018
Percent of Labor Force 11 Virginia s Unemployment Rates 2016-2018 (year to date) 4.5 (not seasonally adjusted) 4.0 3.5 3.0 2.5 Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec 2016 2017 2018
12 Total Nonfarm Employment Over-the-year Growth (seasonally adjusted data) 4.0% 3.0% 2.0% 1.0% 0.0% -1.0% -2.0% -3.0% -4.0% -5.0% -6.0% Virginia USA
June 2018 Labor Force Participation Rates and Unemployment Rates (Fourth Circuit States) 13 (not seasonally adjusted) State Participation Rate* Unemployment Rate District of Columbia 71.6% 5.9% Maryland 68.2% 4.5% North Carolina 62.0% 4.2% South Carolina 58.3% 3.6% Virginia 66.2% 3.3% West Virginia 54.6% 5.4% U.S. 63.4% 4.2% * Participation Rate = civilian labor force divided by non-institutional civilian population age 16 and above.
Fourth Circuit States 14 Trust Fund Balance (Millions) (6/30/18) Average Tax per Employee (year ending 9/30/17) Average Tax Rate (year ending 9/30/17) 2018 Taxable Wage Base 2018 Maximum Weekly Benefit 2018 Maximum Weekly Benefit Replacement Rate 2018 State Potential Duration (Weeks) DC $486 $228 2.53% $9,000 $432 27% 26 MD $1,235 $196 2.31% $8,500 $430 39% 26 NC $3,416 $263 1.12% $23,500 $350 38% 12 20 SC $870 $196 1.40% $14,000 $326 39% 13 20 VA $1,312 $130 1.62% $8,000 $378 36% 12 26 WV $137 $344 2.87% $12,000 $424 53% 26 US Avg. $309 2.22% $13,905 $445 43%
Treasury Offset Program (TOP) 15 The IRS Treasury Offset Program (TOP) allows the VEC to submit overpayment debts resulting from unemployment insurance fraud to the IRS to intercept federal tax refunds. Through June 30, 2018, the VEC has collected $12,530,896 from the IRS through TOP. Participation in this program is mandated under federal law and the Code of Virginia ( 2.2-4806.) All recovered debt is deposited in the Unemployment Trust Fund. The above amount was collected against 18,909 records that had overpayments due to fraud.
Military Trailing Spouse Update Impact of Military Trailing Spouse Benefits 16 FY Benefits Claimants CY Solvency Levels CY Base Tax Rates CY Pool Tax Rates 2015 $658,597 212 2015-0.1 percentage point 2016 Unaffected 2016 Unaffected 2016 $231,050 76 2016-0.1 percentage point 2017 Unaffected 2017 Unaffected 2017 $722,720 245 2017-0.1 percentage point 2018 Unaffected 2018 Unaffected 2018 $652,705 223 2018 Determined in November 2018 2019 Determined in November 2018 2019 Determined in November 2018 Current law sunsets December 31, 2020