(a) On or before December 31 of each year, the Secretary of Labor shall establish an average employer assessment rate for the next succeeding calendar year. The average employer assessment rate shall be computed by multiplying total taxable wages paid by each employer, regardless of industrial classification category as listed in the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) Manual furnished by the federal government, during the 12 consecutive months ending on June 30 by the employer’s assessment rate established for the next calendar year and dividing the aggregate product for all employers by the total of taxable wages paid by all employers during the 12 consecutive months ending on June 30.

(b) On or before December 31 of each year, the Secretary of Labor shall establish an average industry assessment rate for the next succeeding calendar year for industrial classification categories (carried to 6 places) 236, 237 and 238 as listed in the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) Manual furnished by the federal government. The average industry assessment rate for standard industrial classification categories 236, 237, and 238 shall be computed by multiplying total taxable wages paid by each employer in the industrial classification category during the 12 consecutive months ending on June 30 by the employer’s assessment rate established for the next calendar year and dividing the aggregate product for all employers in the industrial classification category by the total of taxable wages paid by all employers in the industrial classification category during the 12 consecutive months ending on June 30.

(c) On or before December 31 of each year, the Secretary of Labor shall establish an average construction industry assessment rate for the next succeeding calendar year for industrial classification categories (carried to 3 places) 236, 237 and 238 as listed in the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) Manual furnished by the federal government. The average construction industry assessment rate shall be computed by multiplying total taxable wages paid by each employer in the construction industry during the 12 consecutive months ending on June 30 by the employer’s assessment rate established for the next calendar year and dividing the aggregate product for all employers by the total of taxable wages paid by all construction industry employers during the 12 consecutive months ending on June 30.

(d) For any employer, excluding those employers in NAICS categories 236, 237 and 238, who first becomes subject to this chapter on or after January 1, 2003, the new employer rate shall be the average employer assessment rate.

(e) For any employer in NAICS categories 236, 237 and 238 who first becomes subject to this chapter on or after January 1, 2003, the new employer rate shall be the average industry assessment rate in the employer’s particular NAICS category (carried to 6 places) or the average construction industry assessment rate, whichever is the greater.

(f) The NAICS category assigned to any employer shall be as determined by the Secretary of Labor or the Secretary’s designee and shall be reviewable only for abuse of discretion.

(g) Each employer subject to the new employer rate shall pay an assessment in an amount equal to the product of the new employer rate times wages paid by the employer during any calendar year, except as may be otherwise prescribed in this chapter.

(h) The standard rate of assessment shall be 27/10 percent for calendar years prior to 1985 and 54/10 percent for calendar year 1985 and subsequent years.

(i) Notwithstanding the computation of the average employer assessment rate, the average industry assessment rate or the average construction industry assessment rate, no employer assigned an assessment rate under subsection (d) or subsection (e) of this section shall have a rate of less than 1 percent.

41 Del. Laws, c. 258, § 7; 43 Del. Laws, c. 280, § 12; 43 Del. Laws, c. 282, § 3; 19 Del. C. 1953, § 3348; 53 Del Laws, c. 79, § 1; 63 Del. Laws, c. 76, § 9; 63 Del. Laws, c. 192, § 8; 64 Del Laws, c. 427, § 4; 65 Del. Laws, c. 513, § 2; 66 Del. Laws, c. 74, § 1; 66 Del. Laws, c. 115, § 1; 70 Del. Laws, c. 186, § 1; 73 Del. Laws, c. 303, §§ 1-7.