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DES MOINES – “Maximum weekly benefits paid to jobless Iowans and to workers injured on the job will increase July 1, 2007,” announced Iowa Workforce Development interim director Dave Neil.

The rise in benefits was triggered by an increase in wages covered by unemployment insurance. The average annual wage for insured Iowa workers increased to $34,094.47 in 2006 from the 2005 rate of $32,867.66. The new benefit payment schedules will apply to people who file new unemployment insurance claims after July 1, 2007 and to workers who are injured on or after July 1, 2007.

Under Iowa law, the number of people covered by unemployment insurance and their gross wages are primary elements of a formula Iowa Workforce Development uses each year to compute maximum and minimum benefit amounts paid to jobless workers. The new rates are:

Beginning July 1, the workers’ compensation maximum weekly benefit for temporary total disability, healing period, permanent total disability and death will rise to $1,311. For permanent partial disability, the weekly maximum will be $1,206.