- Unemployment insurance payments offer temporary financial assistance to workers who are laid off and, in some cases, terminated. You must apply for unemployment compensation through your state's Department of Labor or other appropriate state agency. Unemployment insurance guidelines are established at the federal level; however, each state administers a separate unemployment insurance program.
- Some states allow you to receive income from a part-time job; however, your state may cap the maximum amount of income you receive before a dollar-for-dollar reduction of your weekly benefit is required. If, for example, your part-time income exceed 1 1/2 times your weekly benefit amount, you may still be able to collect unemployment compensation, but at a reduced amount.
- To receive unemployment compensation, you must meet the state requirements for wages earned or time worked during the required period of time for the calendar year, which the Department of Labor refers to as a "base period," Typically, you must have been laid off through no fault of your own, although some states provide unemployment compensation to employees who have been terminated because of poor performance.
- Regular unemployment benefits carry a limit. Depending on your state's rate of unemployment, you may be eligible to receive only 26 weeks of regular unemployment compensation. Once you've exhausted your regular unemployment insurance benefits, you may be eligible to receive unemployment extension benefits. As of April 2011, the maximum number of weeks of benefits available in each state varies from 60 weeks to 99 weeks, according to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities.
Identification
Part-Time Work
Requirements
Continued Eligibility
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