WA to lose nine weeks of long-term unemployment

Washington state’s improving economy will force the state to give up nine weeks of long-term unemployment benefits, according to officials with the Employment Security Department.

Currently in Washington, jobless workers can claim up to 63 weeks of unemployment benefits, including 26 weeks of regular, state-paid benefits and 37 weeks of federally funded emergency unemployment compensation (EUC).

Nationwide, EUC is paid in a series of four tiers, with tiers two through four tied to a state’s three-month average unemployment rate. Washington triggered off tier-4 in April 2012 after the three-mon...