REC adopts unemployment trust fund projection; secretary says it will allow tax cuts and benefit increases in 2026

The Revenue Estimating Conference on Monday adopted the official projection of the Louisiana unemployment compensation trust fund balance after a presentation by Susie Shawen, secretary of the Workforce Commission. Shawen told the conference the projection "will allow us to lower employer taxes and raise benefits to the public, effective 01/01/2026."

Shawen said statute requires the Workforce Commission to present the projection and that LSU representatives who prepared the forecast were available to answer questions. She reported what the transcript records as a projection she stated as "$1,196,614.00 $2.06." Shawen credited legislative action and her team's efforts in fraud prevention and other measures for the result.

President Henry moved to adopt the projected balance in the unemployment compensation fund in accordance with Revised Statute 23:1474; the motion was seconded by Commissioner Bauhner and adopted without objection. The action was recorded during the meeting's agenda item on the unemployment trust fund projection.

Discussion centered on the forecast presentation; there were no recorded questions in the transcript before the motion was made. Shawen identified accompanying staff as Undersecretary Jamie Tyroff and Deb Terrell and noted LSU representatives were present to provide technical detail if needed. The adoption is a formal, procedural approval of the projection required by statute; the conference did not record additional implementing steps during the meeting.

The presentation and formal adoption were confined to the single agenda item; no vote tallies beyond the recorded "without objection" were provided in the meeting transcript.