Unemployment insurance replaces part of the income you lose when you become unemployed. It is a benefit available to workers out of work through no fault of their own. Unemployment insurance softens the impact job losses have on communities by maintaining the purchasing power in the area where workers live.
The money for benefits comes from employers. No contributions for unemployment insurance come from employee wages (though 1.4¢ per hour are required to be withheld for the Workers Benefit Fund).
Disqualifications
You are disqualified if:
- You voluntarily left work without good cause;
- Your employer discharged or suspended you for misconduct connected with your work;
- You failed without good cause to accept suitable work when offered; or
- You failed without good cause to apply for suitable work when referred to a job by the Employment Department.
Benefit Eligibility
Your benefit amount depends upon the work that you performed. The minimum benefit is $108 a week. The maximum weekly benefit you can receive is $463 a week. You can estimate the how much you will get here: http://findit.emp.state.or.us/ocs/estimator/.
The total benefits you can receive are set by law. If the wages during the qualifying period are at least $8,424, you will be eligible for 26 weeks of benefits. If your qualifying wages are less, then the most you could receive is one third of those wages, paid at $108 a week.
Your unemployment insurance claim will be based on your recent work record for the 12-month period known as the base year. The base year is 4 calendar quarters (January through March, April through June, July through September, and October through December). For Oregon claims, the base year is the first 4 of the last 5 calendar quarters completed at the time you first file your claim. For example, if you file a new claim during May, your base year is all 4 quarters of the prior calendar year. To qualify, your work and wages during this base period must meet one of the following two tests: (1) total base period wages of at least 1½ times the wages in the highest quarter in the base period, plus at least $1,000 in wages earned in subject employment, or (2) 500 hours of subject employment.
Receiving benefits requires action on your part. Here is what you must do to receive benefits:
Use the Online Claim System or call the nearest Unemployment Insurance Center to file your initial claim. Use the Online Claim System or call the Weekly Claim Line to claim each week you wish to receive benefits.
- Look for work every week. Keep track of where you look for work or the dates you check with your employer or union about work.
- Keep track of any days that you are sick or away from the area where you live and work.
- Keep track of any hours you work and the money you earn during each week.
- If you are offered work, be able to answer questions about the job offer: name of the company and person you spoke to, the work offered and details about the job, such as the duties, pay, hours, etc.
You will receive benefits, provided you meet the eligibility requirements for each week you claim, after serving a waiting week.
Source: Oregon Employment Insurance Department http://www.oregon.gov/EMPLOY/UI/index.shtml
