Unemployment

This section generally explains state unemployment insurance benefits and Federal-state extended unemployment benefits, along with eligibility requirements and laws, for employees who lose or quit their jobs. It also explains Disaster Unemployment Assistance (DUA).

Unemployment Topics

COBRA Extended Health Insurance Benefits
About the Federal law that grants to qualified employees, the right to extend their employer-provided health insurance benefits during periods of unemployment. HIPAA information included.

Disaster Unemployment Assistance (DUA)
Explains financial assistance provided to employees and self-employed individuals who become unemployed because of disasters, such as tornadoes, hurricanes, floods, earthquakes and terrorist attacks.

Extended Unemployment Benefits
If you exhaust your standard unemployment benefits during a period of unusually high unemployment in your state, then your employee rights might entitle you to collect extended unemployment benefits, also referred to as Emergency Unemployment Compensation (EUC).

Self-Employment Assistance
Learn about the special program available in some states, that provides self-employment help and encouragement to eligible unemployed workers.

Unemployment Insurance Benefits and Laws
Generally, how standard state unemployment benefits work. Includes information about claims, benefits, eligibility and appeals. Provides links for further researching same, specifically for your work state.

Topics Related to Unemployment

Click on a link below to display the related topic indicated. Click on the to display the section from which the related topic originates.

Fired from a Job
About an employee's rights when fired from a job, including information about collecting unemployment benefits.

Final Paycheck
When final paychecks are due under state final pay laws, after employees quit or lose their jobs.

Layoff
Employee rights regarding employment discharge through a layoff, including layoff notice, state unemployment benefits, severance pay and final pay. Also includes information about the COBRA and WARN Acts.

Quitting a Job
Explains employee rights when quitting a job. Includes information about giving advanced resignation notice and collecting state unemployment benefits. Also includes a link to sample resignation letters.

Severance Pay
Whether or not you're entitled to receive severance pay from your employer, after quitting or losing your job. Mentions how receiving severance pay might affect your unemployment insurance benefits.

See Unemployment Offices to link to the Web site of the government agency in your state that administers unemployment benefits and laws, and DUA when it's available. The relevant state unemployment office is where you would apply for DUA or standard or extended unemployment benefits, online or otherwise.

See also One-Stop Career Centers, which provide free employment assistance to job seekers in partnership with state unemployment offices.

If you're looking for Hurricane Katrina or Rita unemployment information (or jobs), start at Katrina Unemployment Benefits and Disaster Unemployment Assistance or Rita Unemployment Benefits and Disaster Unemployment Assistance. However, please be aware that most of the information is now obsolete, because much time has passed since the hurricanes struck.