CONDITIONAL FACTORS.

For each calendar year commencing after December 31, 2006, except for those employers with a benefit wage ratio of zero (0) and as otherwise provided in this section, the contribution rate for each employer for the calendar year shall be increased, in the circumstances and in the amounts as follows:

(1) - Condition "a" - If the balance of the unemployment compensation fund is less than three and one-half (3 1/2) times, but not less than three (3) times, the net benefits paid for the most recent twenty (20) consecutive completed calendar quarters divided by five (5), on July 1 of any given year, the contribution rate for the next calendar year for each employer whose benefit wage ratio with respect to that year is zero percent (0%) shall be increased by one-tenth of one percent (1/10 of 1%) of wages paid by the employer during the year; the contribution rate for each employer whose benefit rate wage ratio with respect to that year is more than zero percent (0%), but not more than one-tenth of one percent (1/10 of 1%), shall be increased by two-tenths of one percent (2/10 of 1%) of wages paid by the employer during the year and the contribution rate for each employer whose benefit wage ratio with respect to that year is more than one-tenth of one percent (1/10 of 1%), shall be increased by three-tenths of one percent (3/10 of 1%) of wages paid by the employer during that year.

(2) - Condition "b" - If the balance of the unemployment compensation fund is less than three (3) times, but not less than two and one-half (2 1/2) times, the net benefits paid for the most recent twenty (20) consecutive completed calendar quarters divided by five (5), as of July 1 of any given year, the contribution rate for the next calendar year for each employer shall be increased by thirty-three and one-third percent (33 1/3%) of the rate; provided that the total rate, if not a multiple of one-tenth of one percent (1/10 of 1%), shall be computed to the next higher multiple of one-tenth of one percent (1/10 of 1%) of wages paid by the employer during that year; provided, further, that the contribution rate for each employer whose benefit wage ratio with respect to that year is zero percent (0%) shall be increased by two-tenths of one percent (2/10 of 1%) of wages paid by the employer during that year; the contribution rate for each employer whose benefit wage ratio with respect to that year is more than zero percent (0%), but not more than one-tenth of one percent (1/10 of 1%), shall be increased by three-tenths of one percent (3/10 of 1%) of wages paid by the employer during that year; and the contribution rate for each employer whose benefit wage ratio with respect to that year is more than one-tenth of one percent (1/10 of 1%), shall be increased by at least four-tenths of one percent (4/10 of 1%) of wages paid by the employer during that year.

(3) - Condition “c” - If the balance of the unemployment compensation fund is less than two and one-half (2 1/2) times, but not less than two (2) times, the net benefits paid for the most recent twenty (20) consecutive completed calendar quarters divided by five (5), as of July 1 of any given year, the contribution rate for the next calendar year for each employer shall be increased by one-half (1/2) of that rate; provided that the total rate, if not a multiple of one-tenth of one percent (1/10 of 1%), shall be computed to the next higher multiple of one-tenth of one percent (1/10 of 1%) of wages paid by the employer during that year; provided, further, that the contribution rate for each employer whose benefit wage ratio with respect to that year is zero percent (0%) shall be increased by three-tenths of one percent (3/10 of 1%) of wages paid by the employer during that year; the contribution rate for each employer whose benefit wage ratio with respect to that year is more than zero percent (0%), but not more than one-tenth of one percent (1/10 of 1%), shall be increased by four-tenths of one percent (4/10 of 1%) of wages paid by the employer during that year; and the contribution rate for each employer whose benefit wage ratio with respect to that year is more than one-tenth of one percent (1/10 of 1%), shall be increased by at least five-tenths of one percent (5/10 of 1%) of wages paid by the employer during that year.

(4) - Condition “d” - If the balance of the unemployment compensation fund is less than two (2) times the net benefits paid for the most recent twenty (20) consecutive completed calendar quarters divided by five (5), as of July 1 of any given year, the contribution rate for the next calendar year for each employer shall be increased by sixty-six and two-thirds percent (66 2/3 %) of the rate; provided that the total rate, if not a multiple of one-tenth of one percent (1/10 of 1%) shall be computed to the next higher multiple of one-tenth of one percent (1/10 of 1%) of wages paid by the employer during that year; provided, further, that the contribution rate for each employer whose benefit wage ratio with respect to that year is zero percent (0%) shall be increased by four-tenths of one percent (4/10 of 1%) of wages paid by the employer during that year; the contribution rate for each employer whose benefit wage ratio with respect to that year is more than zero percent (0%), but not more than one-tenth of one percent (1/10 of 1%), shall be increased by five-tenths of one percent (5/10 of 1%) of wages paid by the employer during that year; the contribution rate for each employer whose benefit wage ratio with respect to that year is more than one-tenth of one percent (1/10 of 1%), shall be increased by at least six-tenths of one percent (6/10 of 1%) of wages paid by the employer during that year.

(5) The contribution rate, excluding any surcharge, for an employer whose contribution rate is three and four-tenths percent (3.4%) or more shall not be increased by more than two (2) percentage points in any one (1) year. The contribution rate, excluding any surcharge, for an employer whose contribution rate is less than three and four-tenths percent (3.4%) shall not be increased to more than five and four-tenths percent (5.4%) in one (1) year.

For the purposes of this section “net benefits paid for the most recent twenty (20) consecutive completed calendar quarters” means the total amount of monies withdrawn from this state’s account in the unemployment trust fund in the United States Treasury for each of the most recent twenty (20) consecutive completed calendar quarters, plus the balance in the benefit account at the start of the period, less the balance in the benefit account at the end of the period. The contribution rate for those employers with a benefit wage ratio of zero (0) shall be two-tenths of one percent (2/10 of 1%) during those years when the fund is in conditions “a”, “b”, and “c”, and shall be three-tenths of one percent (3/10 of 1%) during those years when the fund is in condition “d”.

(6) Beginning January 1, 1996, except for this paragraph and paragraph (7) of this section, the provisions of this section shall be suspended until the Unemployment Trust Fund reaches a High Cost Multiple of one and one-fourth (1 1/4). The Oklahoma Employment Security Commission shall determine the High Cost Multiple at the end of each calendar year and shall include the result of its computation in a regularly published periodical together with other employment-related data. As used in this section, "High Cost Multiple" shall be a figure computed as follows:

(a)first, net fund reserves in the Unemployment Compensation Fund as of the date of each computation required by this section shall be divided by total wages earned in insured employment for the twelve (12) months preceding the date of the quarterly High Cost Multiple computation,

(b)second, the result of the computation from subparagraph (a) of this paragraph shall be divided by a figure which is a quotient derived from the computation of the High-Cost Rate contained in subparagraph (c) of this paragraph, and

(c)third, the highest ratio of total state benefit payments experienced previously in any twelve (12) consecutive months to total wages earned in insured employment for the same period shall be the High-Cost Rate.

The result of all computations contained in subparagraphs (a) through (c) of this paragraph, performed in the sequence as specified in this section, shall be known as the High Cost Multiple;

(7) Prior to the beginning of each calendar year, the Commission shall prepare an estimate of the financial condition of the trust fund. If the estimate for the year shows the balance, at any time during the year, will fall below the High Cost Multiple as defined in paragraph (6) of this section, then the Commission shall reinstate the suspended provisions of this section.

Added by Laws 1980, c. 323, § 3-113, eff. July 1, 1980. Amended by Laws 1983, c. 270, § 12, emerg. eff. June 23, 1983; Laws 1986, c. 205, § 8, emerg. eff. June 6, 1986; Laws 1987, c. 10, § 3, emerg. eff. March 31, 1987; Laws 1995, c. 340, § 18, eff. Jan. 1, 1996; Laws 2006, c. 176, § 18, eff. July 1, 2006.