Cutting benefits to 12 weeks hurts seasonal and construction workers, as jobs are temporary and there can be extended periods between projects. 

West Virginia workers would have one of the shortest lengths of time eligible for unemployment benefits in the country with the passage of this bill. At least 26 weeks is the norm for most states. Only nine states currently offer less than 26 weeks, and only Florida and North Carolina offer just 12 weeks.

 If Senate Bill 2 is passed, workers would only receive more than 12 weeks of unemployment benefits if the state unemployment rate is above 5.5 percent without taking into consideration individual county rates.  This bill will hurt rural counties that have traditionally experienced higher than state average unemployment, such as Calhoun County, which had the highest rate of unemployment average of 10.2% in 2021.