North Dakota employers will see a slight increase in their unemployment insurance taxes.
Job Service North Dakota says the current rates range from .1 percent to 9.7 percent. The new rate will be from .28 percent to 10.72 percent.
"What we've seen is an increase in claims, in part due to the slowdown in the oil industry," said Job Service associate director of unemployment insurance. "That's increased the amount of benefits that we've been required to pay out."
Butland says this will also help Job Service make the target in the unemployment insurance trust fund. The fund is presently at $149 million. Butland says the target for that fund is $169 million.
Earlier this week – Job Service received an okay from the state’s Emergency Commission to use $240,000 in state contingency funds to avoid staff cuts until the end of January. That request still needs an okay from the Legislature’s Budget Section. Job Service officials say the agency has seen its federal funds cut back.