How Do I File for Unemployment Insurance?

To be eligible for unemployment compensation, you must meet the following wage requirements:

• You must have wages in at least two quarters of the base period.
• You must have at least $1,300 in wages in one quarter of the base period.
• You must have at least $1,950 in wages for the entire base period. Your total base period wages must be at least one-and-a-half times the wages in your highest quarter, or be within $70 of that amount.
  
  

In addition to wage requirements, you must also meet the following requirements:

• You must be unemployed through no fault of your own.
• You must be available for work. This means that you must be ready and willing to accept work considered suitable for you because of your past training, education, or experience.
• You must be physically able to work. You cannot collect benefits while you are sick, injured, or disabled.
• You must make at least two job contacts each week.
• You must make a personal and continuing effort each week to attain gainful employment, using methods that are customary for your occupation. (You may be asked by your Employment Services Center to demonstrate your work search activities, so you should keep a record of such efforts.)