ARKANSAS DIVISION OF
WORKFORCE
SERVICES
REPORT ONLINE - TAX21
NEW-HIRE REGISTRY
LEGISLATIVE UPDATES
2024 TAX RATES
BUSINESS SERVICES
MOBILE WORKFORCE
CENTERS
CONTACT
WHAT’S INSIDE
employer
employer
Newsletter
Newsletter
SCAN TO OPEN TAX21
TAX21
Tax21 is an online portal where employers can easily manage requests, reports,
and responses related to unemployment insurance. Save time - report online!
https://www.workforce.arkansas.gov/Tax21
SAVE TIME. REPORT ONLINE.
First step towards creating a single employer portal and
comprehensive application
Reduces redundancy and ultimately lead to a more streamlined
reporting process
Allows ADWS to more quickly locate potential claimants who may
no longer be eligible for benefits to protect the integrity of the UI
trust fund
new-hire registry
MOVED TO TAX21!
Reporting newly hired staff is required. Learn more on the next page!
The New-Hire Registry has moved to Tax21!
In 2022, employers reported 943,075 new hires in Arkansas.
A login ID for online services
A new ADWS employer
account number
To receive & respond to
ADWS employer forms
online
UI documents be sent to a
different address than tax
documents
Request
Unemployment insurance fraud
A refusal of an offer of work
A failure to submit to or pass a
pre-employment drug screen
A failure to appear for a
scheduled job interview
File & pay Employer's Quarterly
Contribution & Wage Report
Report newly hired staff to the
New-Hire Registry - NEW!
To UI 901A Overpayment
Wage Response System
To UI Benefit Notice
Response System & Shared
Work Program
Report respond
new-hire registry
new employees:
Employees should be reported even if they work only one day and are terminated prior to the
employer reporting the new hire.
Employers and labor organizations doing business in Arkansas must report the following
employees who reside or work in Arkansas and to whom the employer anticipates paying
earnings:
Rehired or recalled employees:
Employees who return to work after any type of separation sixty (60) consecutive days after the
initial separation. This includes any employee who remains on the payroll during a break in service
or gap in pay and then returns to work.
temporary employees:
Employees who report for any assignment. Once reported, they do not need to be reported
each time they get a new client or assignment. They do need to be reported as a re-hire if there
was a break in service or gap in pay.
who to report
Within twenty (20) days after the employee is hired or rehired or returns to work.
Employers who submit reports electronically can submit the reports in two (2) monthly
transmissions.
Eliminates paperwork and allows faster processing
Increases the accuracy of the reports
Saves you time and money!
All employers must submit their New-Hire reports:
Electronic reporting:
We strongly suggest reporting electronically. You can report using our website or transmit a data
file created by your company's human resources or payroll software. Call if you need assistance
with electronic reporting. It’s quick and easy!
when & How to report
why reporting is important
Speeds up the child support income withholding order process
Expedites collection of child support from parents who change jobs frequently
Quickly locates alleged fathers/non-custodial parents to help in establishing paternity and child
support orders
Helps children receive the support they deserve
New-Hire reporting:
Employers are a key partner in ensuring financial stability for
many children and families and should take pride in their role.
§11-10-515
Creates a benefit disqualification for failing without good cause and without notice
to attend two scheduled job interviews with the same employer. To satisfy the
disqualification, a claimant will be required to have thirty (30) days of covered
employment. Effective date January 1, 2024.
§11-10-215
Sets the taxable wage base at $7,000 when the UI Trust Fund is in excess of
$600,000,000 as of June 30 of the most recently completed state fiscal year and
limits increases to the taxable wage base to $2,000 each year. Effective January 1,
2024.
§11-10-504
Reduces the maximum weekly UI benefit duration from sixteen to twelve weeks.
Effective for initial claims filed on or after January 1, 2024.
§11-10-704
Reduces the new employer tax rate from 2.9% of the taxable wage base to 1.9%.
Effective January 1, 2024.
§11-10-705
Recharacterizes the stabilization tax as an administrative assessment set at 0.125%
of the taxable wage base for the period of July 1, 2023 through June 30, 2024 and
at 0.1% of the taxable wage base thereafter. Provides that for each fiscal year, 60%
of the administrative assessment collections (limited to $6,000,000) shall be
deposited into the DWS Unemployment Insurance Administration Fund for
personal services and operating expenses.
Requires portions of the administrative assessment collected through June 30,
2024 to be set aside for modernizing UI information technology systems and
hardware.
Allows up to $2,500,000 per fiscal year to be deposited into the DWS Training
Trust fund should collections be sufficient (after funding administration and
modernization) and for any other remaining administrative assessment collections
for the fiscal year to be deposited into the Unemployment Compensation Fund.
Eliminates the 12% and 14% tax rates for deficit rated employers. Effective January
1, 2024.
Act 106 (HB 1197)
Failure To Appear for Job Interviews
Act 196 (HB 1430)
Taxable Wage Base, Max UI Benefit Duration, New Employer Tax, Administrative
Assessments, Deficit Rated Employer Tax
CONTINUES ON NEXT PAGE
legislative updates
unemployment insurance
2023
Authorizes the Director of DWS to establish emergency rules subject to the approval of
the Executive Subcommittee of the Legislative Council.
Protects the methods used by DWS to detect and investigate fraud by designating the
methods as confidential.
Limits an appeal of a decision made by the Board of Review to a party that suffered a
pecuniary loss as a result of the decision.
Clarifies the appeal period of a decision made by the Board of Review when the last
day of the appeal period falls on a Saturday, Sunday, or legal holiday by extending the
period to the next business day.
Eliminates the requirement that a non-fraud overpayment be the direct result of an
error by DWS in order to waive the overpayment and reestablishes that non-fraud
overpayments may be waived if the overpayment was not the fault of the claimant and
that it would violate equity and good conscience to recover it.
All sections effective date March 6, 2023.
§11-10-507 Provides that, unless excused from work search, a claimant shall be
ineligible for UI benefits for any week during which five (5) work search contacts are not
made. Effective date January 1, 2024.
Requires DWS to audit at least one hundred (100) work search reports each week.
Effective date January 1, 2024.
§11-10-519 Provides that UI fraud overpayments of $1,000 or more require a
disqualification period of ten (10) years. Effective date October 1, 2023.
Act 197 (HB 1433)
Emergency Rules, Protection of Fraud Investigations, Appeals of Board of Review
Decisions, Waiver of non-fraud Overpayments
Act 587 (HB 1575)
Work Search Requirements
Act 854 (HB 1840)
Fraud Penalty
2024 TAX RATES
Administrative Assessment
Reduced to 0.125% for fiscal year
2024 and 0.1% for fiscal year 2025
New Employer Rate
1.9% plus administrative assessment
of 0.125% for total rate of 2.025%
Experienced Employer Rate Range
0.225% - 10.125%
Taxable Wage Base
$7,000 per employee
LEGISLATIVE UPDATES CONTINUED
LOCAL BUSINESS SERVICES COORDINATORS
FREE ONLINE JOB POSTING
CANDIDATE SCREENING & REFERRALS
CAREER READINESS CERTIFICATES
PRE-EMPLOYMENT ASSESSMENTS
JOB FAIRS & CUSTOMIZED HIRING EVENTS
LAYOFF AVERSION & RAPID RESPONSE
MOBILE ARKANSAS WORKFORCE CENTERS
WORK OPPORTUNITY TAX CREDIT
LABOR MARKET INFORMATION
Business Services
Local business services coordinators
SCAN THE QR CODE TO
LEARN MORE ABOUT
FREE SERVICES
AVAILABLE TO
ARKANSAS EMPLOYERS!
Eastern AR- Tracy Hinton
870-261-6434
Little Rock AR- Rani Cooksey
501- 682-8038
Central AR- Vivian Brittenum
501-676-2721
North Central AR- Taylor
Smith
870-793-5233
Northeast AR- Mike Willyerd
870-239-6533
Northwest AR- Patty Methvin
870-741-6873
Southeast AR- Candice Taylor
870-536-1971
Southwest AR- Annette Hughey
870-234-4030
West Central AR- Cora Easterday
501-525-7577 ext. 1013
Western AR- Ashlie Ross
479-785-2651
10 WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT AREAS
Arkansas has 10 Local Workforce Development Areas and each one
has a business services coordinator on hand to assist you.
mobile workforce centers
ADWS has nine Mobile Workforce Centers,
each equipped with full internet connectivity,
computers, printers, copiers, & helpful staff.
All the Mobile Workforce Centers include a
computer with access to Jobs Application
with Speech (JAWS) software, and most
mobile units are accessible to individuals
with disabilities.
SUPPORT JOB FAIRS AND EVENTS
PROVIDE A SPACE FOR INTERVIEWS OR ASSESSMENTS
INCREASE COMMUNITY ACCESS TO SERVICES
ASSIST DISLOCATED WORKERS IN THE EVENT OF A LAYOFF OR CLOSURE
REQUEST AN ADWS MOBILE WORKFORCE CENTER TO...
YOU CAN REQUEST A MOBILE WORKFORCE CENTER ONLINE AT WWW.DWS.ARKANSAS.GOV.
Scan the QR code to find out when a
Mobile Workforce Center will be in
your area!
mobile unit Schedule
Equal Opportunity Employers/Programs
Auxiliary aids and services available upon request to disabled individuals.
Voice 1-800-285-1121
TDD 1-800-285-1131
DWS.ARKANSAS.GOV
ARKANSAS JOBLINK
WWW.ARJOBLINK.ARKANSAS.GOV
LABOR MARKET INFORMATION
WWW.DISCOVER.ARKANSAS.GOV
FOLLOW US ON TWITTER
WWW.TWITTER.COM/ARKANSASDWS
FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK
WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/ARKDWS
UI EMPLOYER ACCOUNTS: 501-682-3798
(REGISTRATION ASSISTANCE AND ACCOUNT
MAINTENANCE)
TECHNICAL & WAGE SERVICES: 501-682-3100
(QUARTERLY WAGE UPDATES, ONLINE REPORTING
ASSISTANCE)
TAX 21
WWW.WORKFORCE.ARKANSAS.GOV/TAX21
contact information & more
