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Show UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFITS DOUBLED SINCE 1938 "Utah's schedule of unemployment unem-ployment benefits is considerably consider-ably more liberal than that of any other intennountain state and is among he most liberal in the nation. "Average weekly payments for unemployment compensation in Utah have more than doubled since 1938. "Unemployment benefits in Utah totalled S3.451.329 for the first nine months in 19 Hi greater great-er than for the prior calendar year. "$37107,220 had been collected collect-ed from Utah employes from the beginning of the unemployment unemploy-ment program iin 193G up to June 30, 191(1. "$20,(171,322 reserve for the future fu-ture payments had accumulated as of June 30, 194G. "Utah is one of four states in the nation that have not yet adopted some form of experience experi-ence rating." The above pertinent statements are included among the highlights high-lights of a research study titled "Unemployment Benefits and Taxes in Utah, 1930-101G" just released as the first 19-17 research re-search report of Utah Foundation, Founda-tion, non-pdofit, tax-research organization. No Plan For Experience Rating In amplifying the above points the report made the following statements: "Utah is one of four states in the nation which has not as yet adopted some form of experience ex-perience rating under which those employers having high employes becoming eligible for unemployment compens a t i o n are given preferential unemployment unemploy-ment compensation tax reductions. reduc-tions. States in addition to Utah which have no experience dating plans in operation are Montana, Washington, and Mississippi. "The Tax Study Committee indicates in its report that if the Xew York plan were adopted adopt-ed in the state of Utah, Utah employers could expect a tax-reduction tax-reduction of SI. 5 mollion to $2 million a year. This would assume as-sume a stability of employment in Utah comparable to that prevailing pre-vailing in New York since the adoption of the experience rating rat-ing plan in that state. "The number of unemployed workers receiving one or more checks during the peak month of March, 1910 was 7.713. This number was only about three-fourths three-fourths the number receiving benefits in the high months of 1938, for which year the peak was 10,957 in May. Highest Weekly Payment in Nation "Averge weekly payments to eligible claimants for unemployment unemploy-ment compensation have been higher in Utah than in any other oth-er state in the nation for every month of 1946 for which data have been released. Average weekly payments in Utah were $24.25 in January, and $23.27 for August, 1946. The national average av-erage was $18.78 in January, and $18.41 in August. Average weekly payments ranged from a low of $11.07 for June in North Carolina, to Utah's high of $24.-25 $24.-25 in January. "When Utah's benefits are compared with the average for the forth-eight states, the Utah schedule is revealed to be substantially sub-stantially higher for claimants in ail income groups, ranging from more than double the national na-tional average for a claimant with low base-period income, to twenty-five per cent higher for claimants in higher income brackets for the base period. Future Prospects Discussed In dicussing future prospects the report said: "During the next ten years (1947-1957)., the Department of Employment Security estimatec that expenditures for payment of unemployment benefits will be approximately $47,170,000. Contributions by Utah employers employ-ers to the reserve fund for the same period are estimated at approximately $50,910,00. The amount of the reserve fund in 1956 would therefore be about $31,350,000. "If the Department's estimate proves reasonably accurate, the average annual expenditure for unemployment benefits for the next 10 years will be about $4,-700,00, $4,-700,00, an amount greater than for any year to date. It is possible pos-sible that benefits for the year 1946 may reach this figure. Average Av-erage annual employer taxes are estimated at about $5,000,000, an amount not unlikely if payrolls pay-rolls maintain their present levels." lev-els." ' ' ' |