Final answer:
James Smith's employer is required to pay a SUTA tax of 5.4% on the first $7,000 of his earnings, which amounts to $378.
Step-by-step explanation:
James Smith's employer must pay a SUTA tax of 5.4% on the first $7,000 of his earnings. Since James earned $11,486, the calculation is based only on $7,000, as this is the SUTA tax wage base limit.
To calculate the SUTA tax:
5.4% of $7,000 = (0.054) x (7000) = $378.
Therefore, the total SUTA tax that the employer must pay for James is $378.