More cuts to unemployment benefits coming as economy improves

1/9

The number of biomedical engineers is projected to grow nearly 68% from 4,000 in 2010 to 6,700 in 2020, according to the California Employment Development Department. The median annual wage for this career is $81,540, according to U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics figures. (John Amis / Associated Press)

2/9

Home health aides provide individualized healthcare to elderly, convalescent or people with disabilities at the patient’s home or in a care facility. The number of aides is projected to grow 52% to 93,100 in 2020, according to the state Employment Development Department. The mean annual wage for these jobs is $21,830, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. (Joe Raedle/ Getty Images)

3/9

The number of carpenter helpers is projected to swell nearly 52% to 4,700 in 2020, according to state employment projections. The mean annual wage for these workers, who assist carpenters, is $27,230, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)

4/9

Market research analysts study market conditions and help examine potential sales of a product or service. The number of these types of analysts is projected to grow 45.8% to 78,300, according to state estimates. The median annual wage of marketing specialists was $60,570, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. (Ulrich Baumgarten/Getty Images)

5/9

Masons use bricks, concrete blocks and stones to build fences, walkways and other structures. The number of mason helpers is expected to grow 45.7% by 2020, swelling to 5,100, according to state projects. The median annual wage of brickmasons was $46,930, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)

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Personal care aides are similar to home health aids, which landed at No. 2 on this list. Personal care aides, however, also make beds, prepare meals and perform other duties at a patient’s home or residential nursing facility. The number of jobs in this field is projected to grow to 462,900 by 2020, a 43% growth rate from 2010. The mean annual wage is about $20,830, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. (Lawrence K. Ho / Los Angeles Times)

7/9

The number of emergency medical technicians and paramedics is projected to grow to 22,600, a 42% increase, according to state estimates. The median annual wage of EMTs and paramedics was $30,360 in 2010, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. (Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times)

8/9

The number of museum curators is expected to grow 40% to 1,400 in 2020, according to the state’s Employment Development Department. The median annual wage of curators is $48,450, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)

9/9

The number of marriage and family therapists is projected to grow to 14,900 by 2020, according to state projects. That’s a growth rate of 39%. The mean annual salary for these types of therapists is $49,270, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times)

By Ricardo Lopez

July 16, 2013 1:15 PM PT

The good news: California’s unemployment rate has fallen from 10.7% in May 2012 to 8.6% a year later.

The bad news: The improving economy means that the Department of Labor on Friday may nix the last tier in federal unemployment extension benefits -- the last safety net for the long-term unemployed.

State officials said Tuesday that it expects the federal government to scale back unemployment benefits if Friday’s job report shows further improvement in the state’s labor market.

The cut is automatically triggered if California’s jobless rate dips below a three-month average of 9%.

About 100,000 Californians are expected to be affected if Tier 4 unemployment benefits, which provide up to 10 weeks of benefits, are eliminated.

“While we await final word on the state’s latest unemployment rate, the trend in declining unemployment indicates we will lose our ability to offer Tier 4 extension benefits,” said Sharon Hilliard, chief deputy for the state’s Employment Development Department. “We want to make sure that our customers have as much warning as possible about reduced benefits so they can plan their finances accordingly.”

If the Labor Department issues its decision as expected, the move would affect those who file for unemployment on Aug. 11 or later, according to a spokesman.

The warning of further cuts follows reductions in federal unemployment benefits that began in April. They were caused by federal budget cuts, known as sequestration.

The sequester reduced benefit checks by an average of $52, according to state officials.

Currently, about 750,000 people are receiving unemployment benefits in California. Almost half of those are collecting federal unemployment benefits after exhausting 26 weeks of benefits paid out by the state.

Federal extension benefits are set to expire at the end of this year, state officials also warned. The federal benefits were made available during the depths of the recession.

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ricardo.lopez@latimes.com