There are some new changes when it comes to collecting unemployment pay in Arizona. The new law took effect on August 3rd and requires anyone who has been unemployed for four or more weeks to take any job, or risk losing unemployment benefits.
Did you know that Arizona has the 2nd lowest unemployment benefits in the country? The updated law now states that if you do not take ANY job after being unemployed for almost a month, you could lose those little benefits all together.
What exactly does ANY job mean?
The old law states that if you are unemployed, you must accept any SUITABLE job. This means that if you are overqualified for a job, you aren’t forced to take it. Other things that are always taken into consideration include a job that has a risk involving your health, safety or morals. Also, if your physical fitness, experience, previous wages or length of unemployment doesn’t match well with the job offered.
Things have now changed in Arizona. Back in May, Governor Doug Ducey signed the new law stating that if after four weeks, an unemployed person must take ANY job offered to them where they are earning more than 20 percent of the benefits they currently collect for unemployment.
Currently, if you have been laid off or fired in the state of Arizona, you can collect up to half of what you earned over a 26 week period. However, the state law has limitations. Arizona will only limit benefits to a total of $240 per week. Mississippi is the only other state in the country that actually has a lower cap.
This means that you must take any job that is offered to you, even if it is only $288 per week, which totals only $15,000 per year. If you fail to do so, you could lose your unemployment pay and benefits.
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