268                              Laws of Maryland                        [Ch. 64

year beginning July 1, 1964, and during each fiscal year thereafter
with respect to employment occurring after June 30, 1964, except as
otherwise provided herein.

(1)    For taxable periods beginning on and after January 1, 1972
each employer who has not been subject to this article for a sufficient
period of time to have his rate computed under the provisions
hereof shall pay contributions at a rate not exceeding 2.7 percent,
that is the higher of (a) 1.0 percent, or (b) the State's five-year
benefit cost rate. For purposes of this paragraph, the State's five-year
benefit cost RATE shall be computed annually and shall be derived by
dividing the total dollar amount of regular benefits and one half
of any extended benefits paid to claimants under this article during
the five consecutive calendar years immediately preceding the com-
putation date by the total dollar amount of wages subject to con-
tributions under this article during the same period.

(2)    The Executive Director shall maintain an experience-rating
record for each employer. Nothing in this article shall be construed
to grant to any employer or to individuals performing services for
him prior claims or rights to the amounts paid by the employer into
the fund.

Except as required by paragraph (i) of this subsection, benefits
paid shall be charged against employer experience-rating records as
hereafter specified.

If the claimant earned 75 percent or more of his base period
wages from the principal base period employer, all regular benefits
and one half of any extended benefits paid to such individual shall
be charged against the experience-rating record of his principal base
period employer (as defined in paragraph (9) of this subsection).
If the claimant earned less than 75 percent of his base period wages
from the principal base period employer, all regular benefits and
one half of any extended benefits paid to such individual shall be
charged on a pro rata basis to all base period employers. The per-
centage of the charge to each base period employer shall be in the
same proportion as the amount of wages paid to the claimant by
each such employer is to the total amount of wages received by
the claimant during the base period, and shall be computed as a
whole number without decimals.

(i) If the claimant's unemployment is caused by a shutdown by
his employer for the purpose of having employees take their vaca-
tions at the same time, all benefits paid to the claimant shall be
charged against the experience-rating record of the claimant's cur-
rent employer.

(3)   (i) If an employer's experience-rating record has been
chargeable with benefits through THROUGHOUT the 36-con-
secutive-calendar-month period ending on the computation date
(as defined in paragraph (9) of this subsection), and each of
his annual payrolls, as defined herein, during the three calen-
dar years immediately preceding the computation date for the
THAT fiscal year equals or exceeds $200.00, the employer shall
be assigned an earned rate based upon his experience as pro-
vided herein; except that any employer who has not been sub-
ject to the provisions of this article for a period of time sufficient
to meet the 36-consecutive-calendar-month requirement shall for
each fiscal year have his rate computed on the basis of his experi-