Unemployment Compensation (Insurance)
and Military Service
Julie M. Whittaker
Specialist in Income Security
February 6, 2014
Congressional Research Service
7-5700
www.crs.gov
RS22440
Unemployment Compensation (Insurance) and Military Service
Summary
The Unemployment Compensation (UC) program contains several provisions relevant to current
and former military service personnel and their families. The UC program does not provide
benefits for military servicemembers on active duty. However, former active duty military
personnel (and certain reservists) recently separated from active duty may be eligible for
Unemployment Compensation for Ex-Servicemembers (UCX).
Spouses of military service personnel who voluntarily quit a job to accompany their spouses on
account of a military transfer may be eligible for UC benefits, based on the laws of the state
where the civilian spouse was employed.
Military service of business owners, employees, and employees’ spouses may impact the state
unemployment tax rate that certain employers face. States may choose to create provisions that
remove or limit these tax increases in certain situations.
Individuals should contact their state’s unemployment agency to obtain information on how to
apply for and receive unemployment benefits based upon military service. The U.S. Department
of Labor (DOL) maintains a website with links to each state’s agency at
http://www.workforcesecurity.doleta.gov/map.asp.
Congressional Research Service
Unemployment Compensation (Insurance) and Military Service
Contents
Unemployment Compensation Benefit Eligibility for Former Military Personnel ......................... 1
UCX Financing: Reimbursable Employer ................................................................................. 1
UCX Eligibility and Benefit Level ............................................................................................ 2
Active Duty and UCX ......................................................................................................... 2
Conditions for UCX Eligibility ........................................................................................... 2
Self-Employed and Sole Proprietor Ex-Servicemembers ................................................... 3
Civilian Spouses Who Quit Employment Because of Military Spouse Transfers ........................... 3
Impact of Military Service on Employers’ State Unemployment Taxes .......................................... 5
Tables
Table 1. Unemployment Compensation Benefit Eligibility for Workers Who Voluntarily
Quit Because of a Spousal Transfer .............................................................................................. 4
Contacts
Author Contact Information............................................................................................................. 5
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Unemployment Compensation (Insurance) and Military Service
Unemployment Compensation Benefit Eligibility
for Former Military Personnel
Unemployment Compensation for Ex-Servicemembers (UCX)1 provides income support while
former active duty military personnel or reservists2 recently released from active duty search for
work. The Emergency Unemployment Compensation Act of 1991 (P.L. 102-164) provides that
former servicemembers be treated the same as other unemployed workers with respect to benefit
levels, the waiting period for benefits, and benefit duration.3
Once entitlement to regular unemployment benefits is exhausted, former servicemembers may
qualify for both Emergency Unemployment Compensation (EUC08) and the Extended Benefit
(EB) payments if those programs are active and available in their states.4 The EUC08 program’s
authorization terminated on December 28, 2013, for all unemployed persons. Since December 29,
2013, no EUC08 benefits have been available for any unemployed person.
UCX Financing: Reimbursable Employer
Unlike regular unemployment compensation (UC) benefits, UCX benefits and any subsequent EB
benefits are not paid for by state unemployment taxes. Instead, the state submits the amount of
UCX paid by the state to the former employing service (for example, the Air Force). Then, the
service reimburses the state for the UCX benefits out of the service’s operating budget.5
These UCX reimbursements flow as the transfers from the appropriate military services’
appropriated operating funds into the Unemployment Trust Fund (UTF) account for such
reimbursements (the Federal Employees Compensation Account, FECA). Then, FECA transfers
funds to the proper state account within the UTF. (The now expired EUC08 benefits were paid
from general funds from the U.S. Treasury and were not paid out of the former employer’s
operating budget.)
For example, if a former naval officer living in California claimed UCX benefits, the Navy would
transfer funds from its operating budget into FECA. The funds would then be transferred to
California’s UTF account in order to reimburse California for those UCX benefit expenditures.6
1 Established by the Ex-servicemen’s Unemployment Act of 1958 (P.L. 85-848, 5 U.S.C. §§8521-8525) in 1958.
2 In this report, the terms reserves or reservists include the Army and Air National Guard and their servicemembers.
3 Previously, in 1982, Congress had placed restrictions on benefits for former servicemembers (P.L. 97-362). In
addition to a number of restrictive eligibility requirements, former servicemembers were required to wait four weeks
from the date of their separation from the service before they could receive benefits. The maximum number of weeks of
benefits a former servicemember could receive based on employment in the military was 13 (as compared with 26
weeks under the regular UC program for civilian workers).
4 For information on the EUC08 benefit, see CRS Report R42444, Emergency Unemployment Compensation (EUC08):
Current Status of Benefits, by Julie M. Whittaker and Katelin P. Isaacs. For information on the Extended Benefit
program, see CRS Report RL33362, Unemployment Insurance: Programs and Benefits, by Julie M. Whittaker and
Katelin P. Isaacs.
5 See CRS Report RS22077, Unemployment Compensation (UC) and the Unemployment Trust Fund (UTF): Funding
UC Benefits, by Julie M. Whittaker, for an explanation of how funds are transferred.
6 Former federal worker unemployment benefits (UCFE) are reimbursed in the similar way. For example, a former
civilian Department of Defense (DOD) worker’s UCFE benefit would be paid from a transfer of funds from DOD to
(continued...)
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Unemployment Compensation (Insurance) and Military Service
A former servicemember may receive a combined unemployment benefit (UC and UCX) if the
unemployment benefit is based upon a period that included military service as well as other
employment. Generally, based upon each state’s law, only the amount of the benefit that is
attributable to military service would be charged to the agency.
For FY2013, approximately $1.359 billion in unemployment benefits was distributed to former
military personnel based upon military service. Of the total amount paid, $788 million was for
UCX and EB benefits (and thus paid by the former employing service) and the remaining $571
million was for EUC08 (and paid from the general fund of the Treasury).
UCX Eligibility and Benefit Level
Former servicemembers may apply for UCX benefits in any state. Generally they would apply in
the state where they are searching for employment. (This is different than in the regular UC
program, where benefits are determined by the location of the unemployed worker’s previous
employment.) UC eligibility criteria and benefits vary by state. The former servicemembers must
meet the same criteria that civilian workers are required to meet for their UC benefit eligibility.
Thus, two former servicemembers with the same earnings and work history may qualify for
different amounts of benefits if they file for UCX in different states. The equivalent military
measurement of wages and time in service are used to determine eligibility and benefit levels.7
Active Duty and UCX
Active military personnel are considered to be working and thus cannot qualify for UCX or
regular state Unemployment Compensation (UC) benefits.
Conditions for UCX Eligibility
If the former servicemember was originally in the active duty military, he or she must have left
military service under honorable conditions and either completed a full term of service or have
been released early under a qualifying reason.
If the former servicemember was a reservist formerly on active duty, he or she must have been on
active duty for at least 90 continuous days.
(...continued)
the appropriate state account within the UTF. One substantial difference in benefit determination for UCFE as
compared to UCX is that an individual’s UCFE benefit would be based upon where the individual had worked rather
than where the individual has chosen to search to file for UCX benefits.
7The state in which the former servicemember files for a claim determines the UCX benefit level and duration. The
weekly and maximum amounts of UCX payable to an individual under the UCX program are determined under the
applicable state laws. The UCX benefit is required to be the same amount, on the same terms, and subject to the same
conditions as the state UC that would be payable to the individual under the applicable state law. The individual’s
federal military service and federal military wages (including the value of housing) are assigned or transferred as
employment and wages covered by that state law, subject to the use of the applicable Schedule of Remuneration. That
is, for claims purposes, military wages are determined by the pay grade at separation from military service. A wage
table is provided by the federal government to calculate the equivalent civilian wages for each military pay grade.
These tables are provided each January. For the 2014 schedule, see Unemployment Insurance Program Letter 6-14,
found at http://wdr.doleta.gov/directives/corr_doc.cfm?DOCN=9840.
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Unemployment Compensation (Insurance) and Military Service
UCX and Training/Education
UCX benefits are not payable during periods in which the former servicemember is eligible to
receive certain allowances or educational assistance allowances from the Survivors’ and
Dependents’ Educational Assistance Program or the Department of Veterans’ Affairs Vocational
Rehabilitation and Education Program. Participation in the Montgomery GI bill does not preclude
receipt of UCX benefits; however, having student status does limit UC benefit eligibility in most
states, and these limitations would extend to those workers receiving UCX benefits. Many states
exclude workers while they attend school, and some states include vacation periods in that
exclusion.8
Self-Employed and Sole Proprietor Ex-Servicemembers
When a former servicemember was previously self-employed or was a sole-proprietor, the worker
would have been excluded from receiving UC benefits. After active duty, if the former
servicemember is unemployed, the former servicemember would qualify for UCX benefits based
on military service. However, most states require that the worker be searching for employment
and would not cover a worker who was reestablishing self-employment or a small business.9
Civilian Spouses Who Quit Employment Because of
Military Spouse Transfers
Treatment of civilian spouses who quit their employment because their military spouse was
transferred varies greatly among the states. In the majority of states, a quit to follow a transferred
spouse may be deemed a “good personal” cause and the newly unemployed worker may receive
UC benefits. However, some state UC programs do not award UC benefits to workers who quit
their jobs because a spouse was transferred, deeming this as a “voluntary quit.” The laws of the
state may go further and include a specific disqualification for claimants who quit work to
relocate with a spouse until certain additional income is generated.
The disqualification following a “voluntary quit” continues until the claimant returns to work,
completes a specified duration of work, and earns wages of a specified amount. In other states,
the disqualification is time-limited. These states penalize the worker for quitting, but recognize
that economic conditions may be such that even a person who diligently seeks work may find
none. The reasoning is that beyond a certain point, if a diligent job seeker is still unemployed,
such continuing unemployment is attributable to labor market conditions rather than their
decision to quit. Thus, spouses relocating to areas of high unemployment or limited opportunities
may become eligible for benefits even if initially disqualified.
8 For more information on the states’ approaches on UC eligibility for students, see CRS Report R42707,
Unemployment Compensation (UC): Eligibility for Students Under State and Federal Laws, by Julie M. Whittaker.
Also, see Chapter 5 “Nonmonetary Eligibility” of the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training
Administration, Comparison of State Unemployment Laws 2013, Washington, DC, 2013, p. 5-35 through 5-38.
http://ows.doleta.gov/unemploy/pdf/uilawcompar/2013/nonmonetary.pdf.
9 An exception to this is those states that offer a Self-Employment Assistance (SEA) program. See CRS Report
R41253, The Self-Employment Assistance (SEA) Program, by Katelin P. Isaacs.
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Unemployment Compensation (Insurance) and Military Service
Twenty-four states and the District of Columbia allow UC benefits if a worker quits to
accompany a spouse who has been transferred (labeled “Y” in Table 1). In addition, another 21
states have special exceptions for workers who quit to follow their transferred military spouse
(labeled as “Military only”).
Table 1. Unemployment Compensation Benefit Eligibility for Workers Who
Voluntarily Quit Because of a Spousal Transfer
State
Spouse Transfer
State
Spouse Transfer
Alabama
Military Only
Montana
Military only
Alaska Y
Nebraska
Y
Arizona Military
only
Nevada
Y
Arkansas Y
New
Hampshire
Y
California
Y
New Jersey
Military only
Colorado
Y
New Mexico
Military only
Connecticut Y
New
York Y
Delaware Y
North
Carolina
Y
District of Columbia
Y
North Dakota
N
Florida Military
only
Ohio
Y
Georgia
Military only
Oklahoma
Military only
Hawaii Y
Oregon Y
Idaho N
Pennsylvania
Y
Illinois Y
Rhode
Island
Y
Indiana Y
South
Carolina
Y
Iowa
Military only
South Dakota
Military only
Kansas
Military only
Tennessee
Military only
Kentucky
Military only
Texas
Military only
Louisiana N
Utah Military
only
Maine Y
Vermont
N
Maryland Military
only
Virginia
N
Massachusetts Y
Washington Y
Michigan
Military only
West Virginia
Military only
Minnesota Y
Wisconsin Y
Mississippi
Military only
Wyoming
Military only
Missouri Military
only
Source: CRS compilation from Table 5.6 in the Comparison of State Unemployment Insurance Laws, 2013, U.S.
Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration, Office of Workforce Security, 2013.
http://ows.doleta.gov/unemploy/pdf/uilawcompar/2013/nonmonetary.pdf. Additional requirements may be
imposed to qualify for these exceptions.
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Unemployment Compensation (Insurance) and Military Service
Impact of Military Service on Employers’ State
Unemployment Taxes
State unemployment taxes are levied on employers based on a combination of established rates
and the employer’s past history of its workers using the UC system. Generally, employers with a
greater history of unemployed workers would have a worse experience rating and would pay
higher state unemployment taxes. Military service of business owners or employees may impact
the tax rate that certain employers face. Furthermore, if workers who quit to join a transferred
military spouse receive UC benefits, this may impact the overall state unemployment tax burden
of most, if not all, of the state’s employers. Below are some examples of these situations:
• A business owner, if called up for active military service, may need to lay off
some or all of the business’s workers. Once the business owner returns from
military service, the revival of the business may mean that the small business
may face a new, higher state unemployment tax rate.
• If the servicemember serves for less than two years, some of the worker’s UCX
benefit may be based on nonmilitary work. (These workers receive a hybrid
UC/UCX benefit.) In some states, their former (civilian) employers may face a
state unemployment tax increase as a result.
• Workers who quit their jobs and move to accompany their military spouse may
receive UC benefits in many states as listed in Table 1. These states do not
charge UC benefits to employer accounts when workers voluntarily quit their
jobs to accompany a transferred military spouse. The benefits paid to a worker
accompanying a military spouse generally would not increase the state
unemployment taxes of the worker’s former employer. However, these benefits
are still charged to the state’s account within the UTF. As a result, the cost of
benefits is passed on to the state’s employers as a socialized cost and may
increase the overall state unemployment tax rate.
States may choose to create provisions that remove or limit these tax increases in certain
situations. For example:
• In Illinois, business owners who are called to active duty from the reserves and
had to close their firms are not charged for the increases attributable to UC
benefits for the workers who lose their jobs on account of the closure. When the
business owner returns and reopens his or her business, the business’s state
unemployment tax rate is not increased.
• Some states provide for the non-charging of benefits for unemployment directly
resulting from reinstatement of another employee upon his or her completion of
uniformed service duty.
Author Contact Information
Julie M. Whittaker
Specialist in Income Security
jwhittaker@crs.loc.gov, 7-2587
Congressional Research Service
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