Unemployment Basics

Learn how—and where—to file your claim for unemployment benefits.

Get tips on the amount and duration of unemployment benefit payments you can expect.

Answers to common questions on collecting unemployment compensation.

Some reasons for termination might make you ineligible for unemployment benefits.

When you quit your job you are usually not eligible for unemployment benefits - unless you have good cause for quitting. The benefits are intended for workers who suffer an unexpected loss in income due to layoffs, or in some cases, due to being fired.

Unemployment benefits are meant to act as a temporary safety net for employees who are out of work through no fault of their own -- to tide them over until they can find a new job.

Workers are eligible for unemployment compensation only if they are temporarily out of work through no fault of their own. The "fault" part of the eligibility requirement has to do with the reasons why the employee no longer has a job.

If your unemployment claim is denied, here's how to appeal the decision.

If you decide to challenge an unfair denial of unemployment benefits, your ex-employer will probably be represented by a lawyer throughout the process, and you should be too.

Find out how much it will cost to get legal help with your unemployment claim.

If you decide to challenge an unfair denial of unemployment benefits, your ex-employer will probably be represented by a lawyer throughout the process, and you should be too.

Find out if you can still get unemployment benefits if you quit to take care of your injured child?

I'm doing most of my job search online, so I'm not sure what I'll need to provide to keep getting benefits.

Is there any downside to saying that I quit rather than that I was laid off?

Am I going to have to look for work that would require a long commute?