Utah Unemployment Insurance

Utah unemployment insurance is managed by the state’s Department of Workforce Services (DWS). The DWS oversees state and federal mandated unemployment insurance taxes, unemployment benefits disbursement, and creates employment policies and programs to help stimulate the Utah workforce.

Unemployment insurance is not a welfare program. Utah employers pay into the unemployment tax trust fund for each employee on a quarterly basis. It is meant to temporarily supplement income if you become separated from employment through no fault of your own. Benefits are considered taxable income and must be claimed on your state and federal income tax returns for the year.

Utah unemployment tax rates are set for employers who meet the following criteria:

• Employing one or more individuals for some portion of a day during the year
• Purchasing a business that paid unemployment taxes in the past
• Operating a nonprofit organization that is exempt from income tax and which employs four or more individuals for 20 different weeks in a year
• Paying wages of $1,000 or more to a domestic service worker
• Using agricultural workers and paying wages of $20,000 or more in a calendar year or employing 10 employees in 20 different weeks
• Qualifying for the Federal Unemployment Tax Act by paying wages of $1,500 or more in a calendar year or employing one or more workers any time in 20 weeks

The best way to know if you qualify for unemployment insurance benefits is to file. There are no penalties for filing a claim that is eventually denied, so long as all the information you provide is true and accurate. Unemployment insurance is designed to protect you from financial strain while you seek reemployment.