The N.C. Department of Commerce Division of Employment Security (DES) paid $18,006,353 in Unemployment Insurance (UI) benefits to unemployed claimants across North Carolina during October 2015, down 12.4 percent from September ($20,549,916), and 37.9 percent from October a year ago ($28,998,426).
These payments include all state and federally funded benefits. North Carolina paid $17,467,203 in regular UI benefits from the State UI program in October 2015, down 12.7 percent from the previous month ($19,999,002), and 37.4 percent from October a year ago ($27,897,780). A total of $524,418 was paid in UCFE and UCX benefits administered under Regular UI in October 2015, down 3.2 percent from September ($541,491) and 52.0 percent from October of last year ($1,091,982).
The Emergency Unemployment Compensation program (EUC08) ended in North Carolina on June 29, 2013; however, North Carolina will continue to pay EUC08 benefits for weeks prior to this date. There were 71,831 weeks compensated for Regular UI under the State UI program in October 2015, down 13.4 percent from September (82,911), and 41.3 percent from October a year ago (122,325). Claimants, who were partially unemployed and qualified for UI benefits, received an average UI weekly benefit amount of $243.17 in October 2015, up 0.8 percent from September ($241.21), and 6.6 percent from October 2014 ($228.06).
Claimants who were totally unemployed and qualified for UI benefits received an average of $247.54 in October 2015, up 0.9 percent from September ($245.28), and 6.4 percent from October 2014 ($232.73). (The maximum weekly benefit for October 2015 was $350.00 and the maximum number of benefit weeks payable was 12).
Individuals receiving one or more Unemployment Insurance (UI) payments, from all programs during calendar year 2014, were 183,004. Individuals receiving UI benefits for October 2015 totaled 22,545 — a 5.9 percent decrease from the prior month (23,953), and a 32.3 percent decrease from the October 2014 volume (33,283). North Carolina’s average duration of weeks claimed for Unemployment Insurance benefits decreased from 12.9 weeks during the first quarter 2015 to 12.0 weeks during the second quarter 2015. The national average went from 16.2 weeks to 15.9 weeks.
During this time period the average duration for neighboring states and those within the Southeast Region were: Kentucky 19.0; Virginia, 16.0; Florida, 15.5; Mississippi, 15.4; Alabama, 14.9; Tennessee, 13.4; South Carolina, 11.5; and Georgia, 9.8. October’s statewide Insured Unemployment Rate (IUR), at 0.6 percent, was below the 0.7 percent of September 2015 and the 1.0 percent of October a year ago. The Unemployment Insurance Trust Fund had a balance of $785,427,773.83 on October 31, 2015.
Since Jan. 1, 2015, when the Unemployment Insurance Trust Fund was at a deficit of $430,825,846.03, the trust balance improved $1,216,253,619.86. During October, DES collected $63,832,433.59 in Unemployment Insurance taxes assessed to employers. The State Reserve Fund had a balance of $225,576,162.26.
There were 16,720 state UI Initial Claims (excluding Interstate Liable, UCX and UCFE) filed in October 2015, up 4.9 percent from the prior month’s total of 15,934. Compared with October 2014 (22,827), Initial Claims’ volume decreased 26.8 percent. Of the 16,720 Initial Claims in October 2015, 8 were attached Initial Claims, which decreased 8 from the prior month’s total of 16, and decreased 33 from October 2014 (41).
There were 15,234 New Claims in October 2015, up 3.2 percent from the prior month’s total of 14,757, and down 23.1 percent from October 2014 level (19,811).
Attached New Claims in October totaled 8, which decreased 8 from the prior month’s total of 16, and decreased 23 from October 2014 (31). DES processed a total of 111,004 weeks claimed for Unemployment Insurance in October 2015, down 9.3 percent from September (122,400), and down 38.0 percent from October a year ago (179,083). Attached weeks claimed in October totaled 7, a decrease of 35 from the prior month (42), and 28 from October 2014 (35).
In October 2015, there were 6,855 claimants receiving first payments for unemployment insurance benefits — a 2.5 percent decrease from the prior month (7,030), and a 28.4 percent decrease from the October 2014 volume (9,577). In October 2015, there were 5,831 claimants who received their final payment for unemployment benefits — a 42.0 percent increase from the prior month (4,105), and a 2.8 percent decrease from October 2014 (6,000).
As of September 30, 2015, there were 206,366 covered employers in the state compared to 206,294 at the end of the prior quarter, and 201,948 at the end of September2014.
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