Unemployment benefits are part of the social safety net that the federal government has established to provide for you when you need help. Unemployment benefits also keep money flowing in the economy during difficult times. Federal law requires employers to pay into state-run unemployment funds. In addition, employers pay a smaller federal unemployment tax that the government distributes back to the states to help with administrative costs.
Circumstantial Eligibility
To qualify for unemployment benefits, you must be out of work due to no fault of your own. You will qualify for unemployment benefits if you are laid off, but you will not qualify if you quit or if you are fired for having a bad attitude. If you are fired because you are sick or unable to perform the tasks that the job requires, you probably will qualify because this is not your fault. In addition, you may qualify if your company tries to relocate you but circumstances such as home ownership make it impossible for you to move.
Work History Eligibility
You are eligible for unemployment benefits if you have worked a minimum amount of time specified by the law in your particular state. In most states you qualify for unemployment benefits if you have worked four out of the past five quarters, although you do not need to have worked for the same employer continuously. State unemployment agencies refer to this qualifying period of time as your "base period."
Nature of Benefits
The amount that you receive in benefits depends on the amount your earned while you were working, usually based on your income for the 52 weeks prior to your unemployment. In addition to financial benefits, your state unemployment agency may provide you with practical support in the process of finding a new job. These support services may include access to a database of available jobs as well as financial support for education that retrains you in a new field.
Duration of Benefits
Most states pay unemployment benefits for up to 26 weeks. During tough economic times, state and federal governments may extend eligibility periods for unemployment benefits. States usually offer extended unemployment periods of up to 13 weeks, although they sometimes offer an extension period of up to 20 weeks. In December 2010, Congress voted to extend state unemployment benefits for workers who apply through the end of 2011. The total amount of time that each worker is eligible varies by state. With the new provisions, New York state workers are eligible for a total of 93 weeks of unemployment benefits.
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