(Wethersfield, CT) – Connecticut Department of Labor (CTDOL) Commissioner Danté Bartolomeo announced today that the maximum benefit rate for unemployment insurance filers will increase from $703 per week to $721 per week; a change that will apply to new claims effective on or after October 1, 2023. Under Public Act 21-200, the maximum benefit rate will remain $721 per week for four years; it will next be eligible for an increase beginning October 1, 2028.
Commissioner Bartolomeo said, “Connecticut employers fund the unemployment system—it’s critical that the Unemployment Trust Fund is stable, solvent, and predictable. It’s a safety net for eligible unemployed workers and unemployment dollars stimulate the state’s economy. Public Act 21-200 establishes major reforms that promote Trust Fund solvency and reduce the tax burdens for employers.”
Increases to the maximum unemployment benefit rate are calculated in accordance with Connecticut General Statute section 31-231a(b) using the average wage of all workers in the state for the year between April and March. According to the Connecticut Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, workers in the state earned an average weekly wage of $1,588 between April 30, 2022 and March 31, 2023. The increase to $721 per week applies to new unemployment claims only; continuing claims that reach the maximum unemployment benefit are unaffected.
Unemployment benefit eligibility and a filer’s weekly benefit amount are determined using wage and employment history, number of dependents, and other factors that are unique to the applicant. Connecticut currently has ~25,000 unemployment filers with an average benefit rate of $409 per week.
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