MAIN Your Money Insurance Unemployment Insurance

Created in the U.S. in 1935 - when millions of people worldwide became unemployed during the Great Depression - unemployment insurance today remains the main safety net for workers who lose their jobs.

To be eligible for unemployment benefits, generally there must be proof that you have lost your job as result of a layoff and that there is a "lack of work" in the industry in which you work. Rules vary from state to state, but most will review the reason for unemployment before issuing benefits. Recipients typically receive an average of 50 percent of their previous take-home pay, and benefits are generally limited to 26 weeks.

Claims are usually begun by the laid-off worker, who must have worked a specified number of months on the job to begin receiving benefits. If eligible, it generally takes two weeks for benefit payments to begin, during which you must affirm your eligibility to work and that you are actively seeking employment.

In some states, you can now file a claim by telephone or via the Internet.

On the Web, learn more about unemployment insurance offered state by state, where you can apply, what kind of benefits are available, how much and how long you can expect to be paid, and where else you can seek help and advice whenever you find yourself on the unemployment line...

Unemployment Insurance - Facts and information on the topic including unemployment insurance for federal employees and ex-service members, extended benefits, disaster unemployment, benefits for the self-employed, and trade readjustment allowances, from the U.S. Department of Labor.

Unemployment Insurance - From the AFL-CIO with a discussion on improving the Temporary Emergency Unemployment Compensation program, a complete guide to Unemployment Insurance by State in PDF format, related links.

NCCP | Unemployment Insurance - Featuring a database of unemployment benefit laws, facts and statistics searchable by state, plus cross-state comparisons of participants and spending, from the National Center for Children in Poverty.

NELP Unemployment Insurance Safety Net Project - U.S. advocacy group with information for low-wage workers, part-time and temporary workers, women and caregivers, the long-term unemployed and immigrant workers.

Unemployment Benefit - Wikipedia - Overview, description and comparison of unemployment benefits in the U.S., Canada, U.K. and Sweden with related charts, hyperlinks.

Also see in Office Life --> Resigned / Fired