Getting unemployment insurance depends on how much money you earned at your job, why you left your job, and whether you are ready to get another job.

Did you earn at least $3,000 in the last year?

To get Unemployment Insurance (UI), you must have earned at least $3,000 in the last year. The Department of Unemployment Assistance (DUA) looks at how much you earned during the time they call a base period. During the base period, you must have earned at least $3,000. You can find out your base period by looking below. You can learn more about base periods by looking at the DUA's webpage on base periods.

Why did you lose your job?

Not everyone who loses his or her job can get Unemployment Insurance. To get UI, you must have wanted to keep your job or tried to keep it. In other words, losing your job was out of your control.

Example

The company you work for goes out of business. It is not your fault that you no longer have a job. You should be able to get UI benefits.

Did you quit?

If you quit, you might still be able to get Unemployment Insurance. However, you will need to show that you had a good reason to quit your job, such as a serious illness or domestic violence. You will also need to show that you tried to fix any problems you had with your job or your employer before you left.

Were you fired?

If you were fired because you could not do your job, you may be able to get unemployment insurance. You will need to show that you did not break any rules at work on purpose.

Are you ready to work and looking for a new job?

The DUA only gives benefits to people who are ready and able to work. To get benefits, you must look for work. To keep getting benefits, you need to tell the DUA about your job search and have a plan to get a new job.

You may need to learn new skills before you can get a new job. If so, you can start a job training program. If you start a DUA-approved program, you can get:

• 18 more weeks of UI benefits,
• help paying for child care.