Texans receiving jobless benefits more than double a year ago - San Antonio Business Journal:

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Last week, 275,945 workersx across the state receivedunemploymenrt benefits, according to data from the . That’s a 165 percenty increase fromthe 104,363 who were receiving benefitsx a year ago. And as the number of unemployed has so too hasthe state’s weekly payout. The Texas Workforc Commission paid a totalof $77.8 million in unemployment benefits last week more than double the amount from a year ago and threwe times the weekly average of $22 milliobn paid out in fiscal 2008. Ann director of communications forthe TWC, said the current balance in the Texas Unemployment Compensation Trust Fund is an estimatex $953.8 million. That balance is expected to dwindlew tojust $18.
8 million by October 1. However, the TWC can borrow money interest-free from the federao government to shore up the balance throug h the end ofthe year. The state is likely to increased employer taxes in 2010 to help replenishthe fund.