Unemployment tax is money that employers pay to fund state and federal unemployment insurance programs. When you lose a job through no fault of your own, unemployment benefits can help replace some of your income while you search for work. Understanding how unemployment tax works—who pays it, how much, and what it funds—helps you see where these benefits come from and what you might receive if you need them.

These articles answer questions like: How much unemployment tax do employers pay, and does it come out of my paycheck? What's the difference between state and federal unemployment tax? How do my wages get reported for unemployment purposes? And what happens to unemployment tax rates when claims rise in my state? You'll learn the mechanics behind a system that touches most workers at some point in their careers.