WASHINGTON: Mayor Muriel Bowser has approved changes to the District’s Unemployment Insurance program that will raise the maximum weekly benefit from the current $359 per week to as much as $425 per week, one of the highest unemployment benefits in the nation.
The increase is the first adjustment since 2005, when the weekly maximum benefit was raised from $309 to $359. “My administration has fought together alongside workers to raise the minimum wage and now increase unemployment benefits for the first time in 11 years,” Bowser said in a statement Tuesday evening. “This is a huge step toward ensuring District workers and their families are able to better take care of their basic needs while searching for their next employment opportunity.”
The District’s weekly unemployment benefits are paid to qualified residents for up to 26 weeks. In comparison, Maryland’s maximum weekly unemployment benefit is $430 per week. In Virginia, it is $378 per week. The state of Washington currently has the highest weekly unemployment benefit at $637 per week. Louisiana has the lowest at $247 per week. The IRS requires unemployment benefits to be included in gross annual income and benefits are subjected to income tax.
