A bill has been introduced in the state Senate that would raise the minimum number of unemployment benefit weeks from 12 to 16. Senate Bill 580, filed by Ben Clark, D-Hoke, and Joel Ford, D-Mecklenburg, would retain the sliding benefit scale that moves up and down with the unemployment rate. The minimum number of weeks would be 16 when the jobless rate is at or below 7.5 percent. Clark acknowledges the odds are long that the bill advances far in the current legislative session, but felt the time was right to increase the benefit weeks. The bill does not address the weekly UI benefit, which is at a maximum of $350, down from $535 before July 1, 2013.