Learn how -- and where -- to file your claim for unemployment benefits.
Claims for unemployment insurance benefits are processed and paid by the states through thousands of offices throughout the country. Tales of difficult dealings with the unemployment office are legion—long waits, overworked employees, piles of paperwork—all coming your way at what is likely to be an emotionally shaky time for you. Keep in mind that you are merely pursuing your legal right. And prepare to be patient.
The upside to the recent downturn in the economy is that unemployment eligibility requirements have been relaxed and payouts have increased. In addition to cash benefits, most unemployment agencies now offer job search services, such as employment fairs and websites, in addition to seminars on topics ranging from improving resumes and interviewing skills to career planning and skill training.
Another plus compared to years past is that you can generally apply for benefits over the phone, online, or by mailing or faxing a form; you need not apply in person.
In most states, there is a waiting period of one week between the time you file for unemployment benefits and the time you can collect them. But it is a good idea to contact the nearest unemployment office as soon after you lose your job as possible. You can then supply all required information, complete the necessary paperwork, and convince agency representatives to begin investigating your claim—all the initial steps needed to get the bureaucratic ball rolling.
Required Documentation to File an Unemployment Claim
Your claim will get processed more quickly if you bring the proper documentation when you visit the local office or have it handy if you are applying by phone or online. You will need:
- recent pay stubs and other wage records, such as the W-2 form on which your employer reports your income to the Internal Revenue Service
- your Social Security card, or another document that shows your Social Security number, and
- any documentation you have that proves you are unemployed, such as a layoff or dismissal notice from your employer, and your employer's unemployment insurance account number, if you know it.
Typically, the unemployment insurance claims office will require some type of orientation, ranging from reading simple explanatory pamphlets to attending sophisticated video productions or live group seminars. Compliance is mandatory.
What to Say and What Not to Say
When completing your unemployment forms, one of the first questions you see will be something like: Explain in your own words why you left your last job. The form won't leave much room for long-winded explanations. Take the clue and keep your responses simple and noncommittal.
Unless you were clearly dismissed from your job because of something you did wrong, avoid using the word "fired" in filling out any forms or answering any interview questions at the unemployment insurance office. There are many unspecified words thrown around concerning the end of employment, but fired is the one most often taken to mean that you did something wrong and were dismissed because of it.
If you lost your job because business was slow, note that you were laid off. "Laid off" is an equally vague term, but it is less likely to raise questions about the validity of your claim.
If you were discharged by your employer, take pains to note: "Discharged without any misconduct" or "Quit for good cause." Leave out any qualifying details, such as: "My supervisor never liked me from the first day I walked in, so naturally I was the first to be laid off."
Unemployment Claim Review
Once you have submitted your completed forms, the rituals that follow vary somewhat from state to state. You may be interviewed the same day, told to come back for an interview, or simply sent a check in the mail. If a second visit is required, be sure to take your documents with you. (Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many of these steps are now occurring over the phone or online)
Whatever the procedure is in your locale, the goal is to determine whether you are entitled to benefits and, if so, how much. The interviewer will likely concentrate on why you left your last job. Keep your explanations helpful but as brief and objective as possible.
In some states, you may be approved to receive benefits immediately. If your employer later challenges the award, you should continue to get those benefits during the time the appeal is processed.
But, in many states, the clerks at the unemployment insurance office will use your first interview to launch an investigation of your claim by sending inquiries to your former employer. The employer then must respond, either verifying or disputing your version of the circumstances surrounding your unemployment, the wages you received, and other relevant information. The process usually takes at least a few weeks, and sometimes more.
While waiting for your claim to go through this verification process, you will probably be required to visit the unemployment insurance office once each week or two or sign a statement that will be mailed to you affirming that you still meet all the legal requirements of the program—and that you are looking for a new job. It is important to comply with this reporting requirement even before receiving unemployment insurance checks. If you have not yet received a cent in unemployment benefits, once your claim is verified, you will usually be paid after the fact for all the weeks for which you did qualify.
If your claim is approved, you will typically receive your unemployment benefit check in the mail every two weeks after your claim is verified and your benefit level is determined.
Tax Implications of Unemployment Benefits
Unlike workers' compensation benefits, unemployment insurance benefits are taxed as income. Because the benefit amounts paid are often below the taxable annual earning level, however, many states will not take the automatic step of deducting any taxes from your unemployment benefit check.
However, the state will report the unemployment benefit amount you were paid to the Internal Revenue Service and to your state taxing authority.
If you receive unemployment benefits during a year in which you get a new job, you may want to increase the amount your employer withholds in taxes from your paycheck. Otherwise, you may be unpleasantly surprised at tax time when you either owe more tax or receive less of a refund than anticipated.
Continuing Your Unemployment Benefits
Once you have qualified for unemployment insurance benefits, you are not free to simply sit back and welcome the checks each week. You must continue to comply with the state program's rules and rituals to keep them coming.
You must visit the unemployment insurance office or complete specific paperwork as frequently as your state requires it. Periodically, you must verify that you remain unemployed but available for work, that you remain physically able to work, and that you are actively looking for work. The documents you sign will typically ask you to certify that you continue to meet these requirements, and it is usually a criminal offense to lie about any of your answers.
In some states, you are also required to list a minimum number of potential employers to whom you have applied for work since the last time you signed for benefits. This requirement may vary according to economic conditions.
The unemployment insurance program cannot require you to take a job that varies much from your normal field of work and your normal wage level. But these ranges are subject to interpretation, so exercise care in deciding where to apply for a new job. Some unemployment insurance offices maintain and post listings of jobs that are available locally. Apply only for jobs that are similar to your normal type of work and wage levels so that you will not run the risk of having your unemployment insurance claim discontinued because you refused to accept substitute employment.
Where to File for Unemployment Benefits
You should file your claim for unemployment benefits in the state where you live and worked. (Find contact information for your state in the chart below).
If you become unemployed in one state and then move to another, you can file your claim in your new state. However, your benefits will be determined by the rules of your former state. Although your new state administers your claim, the cost of your benefits is charged back to the state in which you became unemployed. A move will also add time to processing your claim, usually increasing the delay by several weeks.
Keep in mind that, even when you relocate, you still must meet all the requirements of the unemployment insurance program to qualify for benefits. Your new location must be one to which you were required to move by family circumstances or in which it is logical for you to expect to find a new job. For example, you cannot decide to move to a small seacoast town with virtually no business activity because you like the countryside there, quit your old job for no other reason, then expect to be eligible for unemployment insurance when you get to your new home and cannot find work.
State Unemployment Insurance Agencies
Alabama
Department of Industrial Relations
649 Monroe Street
Montgomery, AL 36131
866-234-5382
https://labor.alabama.gov/unemployment.aspx
Alaska
Employment Security Division
P.O. Box 115509
Juneau, AK 99811
907-465-5552
FAX: 907-465-5573
http://labor.state.ak.us/esd_unemployment_insurance/home.htm
Arkansas
Department of Workforce Services
#2 Capitol Mall
Little Rock, AR 72201
California
Employment Development Department
P.O. Box 826880
UIPCD, MIC 40
Sacramento, CA 94280
866-333-4606
TTY: 800-815-9387
Colorado
Department of Labor & Employment
633 17th Street, Suite 201
Denver, CO 80202
800-388-5515
https://www.colorado.gov/pacific/cdle/unemployment
Connecticut
Department of Labor
200 Folly Brook Boulevard
Wethersfield, CT 06109
860-263-6000
Delaware
Division of Unemployment Insurance
4425 N. Market Street
Wilmington, DE 19802
302-761-6576
800-794-3032
District of Columbia
Department of Employment Services
64 New York Avenue, NE, Suite 3000
Washington, DC 20002
202-724-7000
Florida
Agency for Workforce Innovation's Unemployment Compensation
107 E. Madison Street
Caldwell Building
Tallahassee, FL 32399
850-245-7105
850-921-3223
Georgia
Department of Labor
Atlanta, GA
404-232-3990
Hawaii
Department of Labor & Industrial Relations
830 Punchbowl Street
Honolulu, HI 96813
808-643-5555
877-215-5793
Idaho
Department of Labor
317 W. Main Street
Boise, ID 83735
208-332-3570
FAX: 208-334-6430
Illinois
Department of Employment Security
33 South State Street
Chicago, IL 60603
312-793-5280
800-244-5631
Indiana
Department of Workforce Development
Indiana Government Center South
10 N. Senate Avenue
Indianapolis, IN 46204
800-891-6499
Iowa
Workforce Development
1000 E. Grand Avenue
Des Moines, IA 50319
515-281-5387
800-562-4692
Kansas
Department of Labor
401 SW
Topeka Boulevard
Topeka, KS 66603
785-296-5000
800-292-6333
Kentucky
Office of Employment and Training
275 E. Main Street, 2nd Floor
Frankfort, KY 40601
502-564-2900
800-648-6057
Louisiana
Workforce Commission
1001 N. 23rd Street
Baton Rouge, LA 70802
866-783-5567
Maine
Department of Labor
54 State House Station
Augusta, ME 04333
800-593-7660
TTY: 888-457-8884
https://labor.mo.gov/unemployed-workers
Maryland
Department of Labor, Licensing & Regulation
500 N. Calvert Street, #401
Baltimore, MD 21202
1-800-827-4839
http://www.dllr.state.md.us/employment/unemployment.shtml
Massachusetts
Division of Unemployment Assistance
Charles F. Hurley Building
19 Staniford Street
Boston, MA 02114
617-626-6800
877-626-6800
Michigan
Unemployment Insurance Agency
P.O. Box 169
Grand Rapids, MI 49501
866-500-0017
FAX: 517-636-0427
Minnesota
Unemployment Insurance Program
P.O. Box 75576
St. Paul, MN 55175
877-898-9090
TTY: 866-814-1252
FAX: 651-205-4007
Mississippi
Department of Employment Security
Office of the Governor
1235 Echelon Parkway
P.O. Box 1699
Jackson, MS 39215
601-321-6000
Department of Labor and Industrial Relations
421 East Dunklin Street
P.O. Box 504
Jefferson City, MO 65102
573-751-9691
FAX: 573-751-4135
https://www.ui.labor.mo.gov/som/
Montana
Unemployment Insurance Division
Department of Labor and Industry
P.O. Box 8020
Helena, MT 59604
406-444-3783
800-207-0667
TDD: 406-444-0532
FAX: 406-444-2699
Nebraska
Department of Labor
550 S. 16th Street
Lincoln, NE 68508
402-471-9000
Nevada
Nevada Department of Employment, Training & Rehabilitation
2800 E. St. Louis Avenue
Las Vegas, NV 89104
Northern Nevada: 775-684-0350
Southern Nevada: 702-486-0350
Rural Nevada and out of state: 888-890-8211
TTY: 775-687-5353
FAX: 775-684-3850
New Hampshire
New Hampshire Employment Security
32 S. Main Street
Concord, NH 03301
603-224-3311
800-852-3400
https://www.nhes.nh.gov/services/claimants/file.htm
New Jersey
Department of Labor and Workforce Development
1 John Fitch Plaza
P.O. Box 110
Trenton, NJ 08625
Cumberland: 856-507-2340
Freehold: 732-761-2020
Union City: 201-601-4100
http://lwd.dol.state.nj.us/labor/ui/ui_index.html
New Mexico
Department of Workforce Solutions
401 Broadway NE
Albuquerque, NM 87102
505-841-4000
New York
Department of Labor
P.O. Box 15130
Albany, NY 12212
888-209-8124
https://unemployment.labor.ny.gov/
North Carolina
Employment Security Commission
700 Wade Avenue
Raleigh, NC 27605
888-737-0259
https://www.ncesc1.com/individual/UI/uimain.asp
North Dakota
Job Service Unemployment Insurance
P.O. Box 5507
Bismarck, ND 58506
701-328-4995
TTY: 800-366-6888
FAX: 701-328-2728
Ohio
Department of Job and Family Services
30 E. Broad Street, 32nd Floor
Columbus, OH 43215
877-644-6562
https://ohio.gov/wps/portal/gov/site/jobs/resources/file-for-unemployment
Oklahoma
Employment Security Commission
P.O. Box 52006
Oklahoma City, OK 73152
405-525-1500
800-555-1554
Oregon
Employment Department
875 Union Street NE
Salem, OR 97311
Consult the website below for telephone numbers of the regional unemployment insurance centers.
www.employment.oregon.gov/EMPLOY/UI/index.shtml
Pennsylvania
Department of Labor and Industry
Office of Unemployment Compensation
Harrisburg, PA
888-313-7284
Rhode Island
Department of Labor and Training Unemployment Insurance
1511 Pontiac Avenue
Cranston, RI 02920
401-243-9100
TDD: 401-243-9149
South Carolina
Department of Employment and Workforce
Consult the website below for contact information for your local Workforce Center.
https://dew.sc.gov/individuals/apply-for-benefits/claims-process
South Dakota
Unemployment Insurance Division
Department of Labor
P.O. Box 4730
Aberdeen, SD 57402
605-626-2452
FAX: 605-626-3172
https://dlr.sd.gov/ra/individuals/default.aspx
Tennessee
Department of Labor and Workforce Development
220 French Landing Drive
Nashville, TN 37243
615-253-0800
877-813-0950
https://www.tn.gov/workforce/unemployment.html
Texas
Workforce Center
Consult the website below for local Workforce Centers and Offices.
Utah
Department of Workforce Services
P.O. Box 45249
Salt Lake City, UT 84145
801-526-9675
FAX: 801-526-9211
http://jobs.utah.gov/ui/dwsdefault.asp
Vermont
Department of Labor
Montpelier, VT
877-214-3332
Consult the website below for online filing services.
Virginia
Employment Commission
703 E. Main Street
Richmond, VA 23219
804-786-1485
800-828-1140
TTY: 804-371-8050 or
800-828-1120
www.vec.virginia.gov/vecportal
Washington
Employment Security Department
800-318-6022
TTY: 800-365-8969
Consult the website below for online filing services.
https://esd.wa.gov/unemployment
Workforce
800-318-6022
TTY: 800-365-8969
Consult the website below for contact information for local Workforce offices.
https://workforcewv.org/unemployment
Wisconsin
Department of Workforce Development
201 E. Washington Avenue Madison WI 53703
Appleton: 920-832-2764
Eau Claire: 715-836-6567
Madison: 608-242-4819
Milwaukee: 414-227-4731
https://dwd.wisconsin.gov/uiben/weeklyclaim/
Wyoming
Department of Employment
100 W. Midwest
P.O. Box 2760
Casper, WY 82602
307-235-3264
FAX: 307-235-3278
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