Duration

• Most of the federal unemployment benefits, which have been available in some form since 2008, are in the Emergency Unemployment Compensation program. The maximum time for receiving EUC benefits is 53 weeks. Added to the maximum 26 weeks of regular state benefits, these benefits allow Tennessee residents to claim unemployment insurance for 79 weeks. Another federally-funded program, Extended Benefits, previously made an additional 20 weeks of benefits available. But funding for that program ran out in Tennessee and a few other states in April 2011.
  
  

Tiers

• The reason 53 weeks of Emergency Unemployment Compensation benefits are available in Tennessee is the state's unemployment rate. The EUC program consists of four tiers. The first two tiers, lasting 20 and 14 weeks, are available to jobless workers in every state. The third tier spans 13 weeks and is available in any state where the unemployment rate is at least 6 percent. The final tier, which tacks on six more weeks, is for residents of states in which the unemployment rate is 8.5 percent or higher for at least three consecutive months. Tennessee's unemployment rate as of March 2011 was 9.5 percent.
  
  

Outlook

• Federal funding for Emergency Unemployment Compensation runs out at the end of 2011. Congress could vote to extend the program, but otherwise Tennessee and all states will implement phase-out plans. At the end of 2011, you would be able to complete the EUC tier you are on, but not move to the next tier. Unless you are on the fourth tier at that time, you would not be able to receive your full complement of EUC benefits. If you are on your 26-week allotment of regular benefits, you would not receive any EUC benefits.
  
  

Considerations

• Recent extensions of the Emergency Unemployment Compensation program, including in December 2010, did not create additional weeks of benefits for residents in Tennessee. The extensions merely added to the amount of time for which the current level of federal benefits are available. A bill in the House of Representatives in April 2011 would add 14 weeks to Tier 1 of EUC, including for those who have exhausted all other benefits, thus increasing EUC to 67 weeks and total benefits availability to 93 weeks in Tennessee. The bill remains pending in the House and its chances of passing into law are unclear.