Unemployment Offices

Links to official, Federal and state unemployment office Web sites are listed below. Unemployment offices were established under the Wagner-Peyser Act of 1933.

Unemployment Office Facts

Each unemployment office is a government agency that administers standard, extended and disaster unemployment benefits, and typically also enforces state unemployment laws.

Although unemployment office is the common name, government agencies that administer unemployment benefits go by different names. Unemployment offices are divisions of labor departments or other employment-related governmental agencies.

For example, what's commonly called the California Unemployment Office is a division of the Employment Development Department (EDD). Subsequently, the California unemployment office is officially called the Employment Development Department or simply the E-D-D.

Employers! Looking for information about Federal and state unemployment taxes? See the information provided by the U.S. Department of Labor and IRS. Click the appropriate state unemployment office links below for information about state unemployment taxes.

Federal Unemployment Office

The Employment & Training Administration (ETA), a division of the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL), is the so-called Federal unemployment office. It's the "main" unemployment office so to speak, because each state unemployment office is an agent of the DOLETA in the nation's Unemployment Insurance System.

The DOLETA Web site is a great place to generally research unemployment benefits and laws. It is not, however, the place to file a claim for unemployment benefits. The nearest state unemployment office or its Web site is the place to do that. Links to state unemployment office Web sites are listed below.

Federal Unemployment Office

State Unemployment Office

As indicated above, the unemployment office Web site for the state in which you work is the place to file a claim for standard, extended or disaster unemployment benefits, if it has online facilities for such. Many do; but, regardless of whether or not they have online claim-filing facilities, state unemployment office Web sites provide instructions or contact information for filing claims by other means.

State unemployment offices also administer state disability programs in the few states that have such. If you're unemployed due to an injury or illness unrelated to your job, then you might be eligible for one or more state disability programs instead of unemployment benefits.

If you're unemployed due to an occupational injury or illness directly related to your job, then you might be eligible for workers' compensation benefits administered by workers' compensation agencies.

State unemployment office Web sites are also good places to research state-specific unemployment benefits, eligibility requirements, appeals, laws and employer taxes.

State Unemployment Office Web Sites

Under the Workforce Investment Act of 1998, state unemployment offices expanded by adding One-Stop Career Centers. They provide free employment assistance and are located throughout each state. Like your local unemployment office, your local "One-Stop" might also take claims for unemployment benefits.

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American Samoa does not operate an unemployment insurance program and so, it does not have an unemployment office. However, Disaster Unemployment Assistance (DUA) might be available through the American Samoa Department of Human Resources when needed.

The Commonwealth of Northern Mariana Islands does not operate an unemployment insurance program, but it does have a department of labor that provides free employment assistance to job seekers.

Guam does not have an unemployment office, because it does not provide unemployment benefits. However, it does have a department of labor that provides free employment assistance to job seekers.