Effective with Benefit Years commencing on or after April 1, 1996, individuals will be identified as construction workers using the National Council of Compensation Insurance Classification codes reported by the employer. Such individuals will be entitled to a Weekly Benefit Rate based on 1/26 of the total wages paid during the highest quarter of wages in his or her Base Period.

Example:

Highest quarter of earnings = $4,000

Divided by 26 = $153.85

Rounded down to = $153

The total Base Period wages would have to equal at least 40 times the Weekly Benefit Rate of $153, or $6,120, to qualify.

To receive partial benefits, you must establish monetary eligibility and you must be able to work and available for work as defined by law.

The number of hours you are working or worked during a week must be less than the number of hours customarily considered full-time for that job and/or employer. The reason for working less than full-time must be lack of work or because the job is part-time by choice of the employer.

Partial Unemployment compensation benefits payments will be figured by taking two-thirds of your gross earnings for the week claimed and deducting that amount from your Weekly Benefit Rate.

Be patient as you wait for your first check. Federal stands say that a check is timely if...

The amount of your check can go down if:

You’re receiving a pension based on any previous work, including a Social Security pension. They’ll calculate your weekly pension amount and reduce your weekly benefit by that amount. If the weekly pension amount is equal to or greater than your weekly benefit amount, you won’t receive any unemployment benefits.
You’re still receiving severance pay from your employer.
You owe child support. Your unemployment check may be cut by 25 percent and that money would be used for your child support payments.
You receive earnings from another job.
Paying taxes on your unemployment insurance benefits

Unemployment compensation benefits are taxab...

Every state can restrict the amount of unemployment benefits you receive in a given benefit year. The maximum can be calculated on one of two methods. One limitation is tied to your weekly benefit amount. It can only be between eight and thirty times your benefit amount. Secondly is there can be a cap of benefits at between 25% and 100% of your base period earnings. Your unemployment benefit amount can be reduced due to partial employment, pension or retirement pay. Most people feel that they can receive unemployment benefits for 26 weeks however the amount you make during that timeframe also comes into play.

You can lose your benefits if you don’t:

register as directed with the Job Service
report each week
actively look for a job (and have proof that you’re looking)

You daily unemployment benefit is 60% of the daily rate of pay from your last job during that base year. It cannot be less than $12.70 a day or more than 5% of the monthly wage base. The maximum daily rate fluctuates based on growth in average national wages. This calculation is based on straight time pay, not overtime or extra pay. The calculation can include any cost of living allowances that may be available. If your previous job consisted of mileage such as train and engine services, the rate of pay considers the number of miles in a basic workday.

After you have satisfied the waiting period, benefits are paid for days of unemployment over four in a 14 day claim period.

The first thing you have to do to receive unemployment benefits is to file a claim. You will not receive the benefits if you do not file your claim. Each state has a certain way or place to file for unemployment benefits. Please see your state’s particular rules in the back of this book. You can use this information to contact offices for more information.

Items to Bring

When you file for unemployment, you will be required to bring certain information with you. If you have documentation concerning your employment and previous checks, bring this information as well. The laws mandate that you keep good records and not that the unemployment office has to get the information for you. On your...

Unemployment benefits are paid to those who have minimum work experience within the last one and one half years before filing. Each state has different ways of coming up with a formula to determine benefits. Most states require that you worked at least some of two different calendar quarter within the one to one half year timeframe and you also have to have made a specific dollar amount in wages.

Remember that unemployment benefit is paid to those who become unemployed through no fault of their own or leave with good cause. You can usually receive unemployment benefits for up to 26 week, depending on how long you worked at your position before you were separated from the company. The amount t...

Unemployment benefits do not begin until you have served the waiting week. You will not receive unemployment until after that timeframe. Considering this waiting week, you should file for unemployment on the first day after you discovered you are losing your job. If you work a seasonal job, your incentive to apply for benefits is that you can only serve one waiting week per benefit year. That means that if you become unemployed again during that benefit year, you will obtain unemployment benefits from the first day of approval. If you work for a company who regularly layoffs employees and rehires them.

Another thing to consider in considering when to apply is how much you have made in base pe...

If you have ten or more years of service and are still unemployed after the benefit period of 26 weeks, you may be eligible for extended benefits for up to 65 days. And if you are not qualified to receive the benefit in the current year of benefits but received normal benefits in the last year, you may still be able to qualify for extended benefits. You cannot have voluntarily retired or quit without good cause to receive extended unemployment benefits.