DES MOINES, IOWA (June 28, 2019) — Iowa Workforce Development announced an increase to maximum weekly benefits paid to unemployed Iowans and to workers injured on the job. The new benefit payment schedules apply to people who file new unemployment insurance claims on or after July 7, 2019, and to workers injured on or after July 1, 2019.
An increase in wages covered by unemployment insurance triggered the rise in benefits. The average annual wage for insured Iowa workers increased to $47,290.57 in 2018, up from $45,877.31 in 2017.
Under Iowa law, the number of people covered by unemployment insurance and their gross wages are primary elements of a formula Iowa Workforce Development uses each year to compute maximum and minimum benefit amounts paid to jobless workers. The new rates are:
Iowa Workforce Development officials noted that about half of those eligible for unemployment insurance benefits have enough earnings to qualify for the maximum benefit. The 2019 taxable wage base will be $31,600.
Beginning July 1, the workers’ compensation maximum weekly benefit for temporary total disability, healing period, permanent total disability and death will rise to $1,819. For permanent partial disability, the weekly maximum will be $1,673.
Information about the weekly benefits will be available in the 2019 Unemployment Insurance Claimant Handbook at www.iowaworkforcedevelopment.gov on July 3.
