ETA 218: Benefit Rights and Experience

Data reported on the ETA 218 provides a means of evaluating state benefit formulas, as administered under the state unemployment insurance program. The number of monetary determinations on new claims is used as a base to which other items reported in section A of the report may be related. The number of new claims determined to have insufficient wage credits and the number with sufficient wage credits provide information on the effect of the monetary qualifying requirements in the state law. The number of new claims determined to have established benefit years is used on an annual basis to estimate the number of eligible claimants in each state.<br><br>The number of eligible claimants with potential maximum duration, the average potential duration for all eligible claimants, and their distribution by number of full weeks of potential duration show the extent of protection, in terms of weeks of benefits, available to potential beneficiaries. These figures permit computation of the maximum potential current liability of the fund, and reflect on a reasonable, current basis the effect of changes and potential changes in benefit provisions of state laws. The number of claimants who exhaust benefits with maximum duration, the average actual duration of all claimants who exhaust benefits, and their distribution by number of full weeks of benefits drawn show the actual amount of protection provided by the program for claimants still unemployed on receipt of their final payment in a benefit year.