On September 18, the Commission on Unemployment Compensation’s Adjustments to Weekly Benefits Workgroup met for the first time. Created by legislation from the 2025 General Assembly session, the workgroup is tasked to study making annual adjustments, based on the average weekly wage, to individual weekly benefit amounts for unemployment compensation.

The workgroup received two presentations at its inaugural meeting. The first, from the Virginia Employment Commission, provided a high-level overview of Virginia’s unemployment insurance system, including how it is funded and how tax rates are determined. The second, from the National Employment Law Project, focused on the concept of automatic unemployment benefit adjustments and included a national comparison.

Discussion among the workgroup members focused on ensuring unemployment benefits are sufficient to cover necessary expenses during the unemployment period and the importance of maintaining fund solvency and not burdening employers should benefits be increased.

The Virginia Chamber of Commerce has been asked to identify a large employer representative to participate in this workgroup. If you or your business are interested in participating, please reach out to Ethan Betterton, Vice President of Government Relations, at e.betterton@vachamber.com. The workgroup is scheduled to meet quarterly between now and July 2026.