Unemployment Benefits

Some information I researched which may help anyone else laid off:

1) You get an unemployement check every week for 60% of your salary for upto 26 weeks, but capped at $475 per week.

2) There is a proposal to extend the 26 week period to one year but currently its 26 weeks.

3) Many states (NJ is one) encourage you to get even a PT job WITHOUT losing unemployement benefits. In fact they INCREASE by 20%.

Here's an example. Let's say you benefit is $100 per week ($100 as its easy on the arithmetic). So you have $100X26 weeks=$2600 in a "bank" which you can draw from. It doesn't have to be a continuous period. You can break up 26 into as many parts as you like. Say you get the benefits for 10 weeks, get a regular FT job so it stops. Then you again get laid off so you can still get the unclaimed part, viz. 16 weeks.

OK, here's the interesting part: If you get PT work, your benefit amount increases by 20% so you entitlement is $120 per week. So the "bank" becomes $2600 + 20% of $2600= $3120.

Lets now say you make $50 per week in PT. So you get $50 for the PT work plus $120 minus $50 (=$70) from unemployment = $50+$70=$120. By doing PT, you are therefore making more than $100 you'd get if you didn't work. Small increase but it helps.

My employer agreed to pay me till 3/15/02 so I have to apply for unemployment on 3/18. Its all done on phone, no waiting in crowded lines. They guarantee you first check goes in the mail the NEXT working day. The paper work is done later.

If anyone wants any specific information, please PM/Email me and I'll share what I have.

I'll also keep updating this thread from time to time, sharing my experiences in getting re-employed with all of you in the hope it is helpful for those in my predicament.

Shahani

" capped at $475 per week"
I Wish that were so it's $265 a week here. not even close to 60% of my pay.

jad: check this link:
http://www.state.nj.us/labor/uiex/faqs/q3.htm

What state are you in? I don't think there will be that much variance.

Update: In today's newspaper there is an article confirming that 26 weeks has been increased to 39 weeks. This has been passed by the senate. Bush says he will sign it to law.

Thats a full nine months.

Well it is only $265 a week here, unless it has changed since last summer. I bet it is one of the lowest in the country.


Our unemployment site is down right now. http://www.state.tn.us/labor-wfd/

[Hey-Todd]

It's $300 a week here in Michigan.

I guess its linked to cost of living. NJ/NY are two of the most expensive states to live in. Tennessee and Florida and some other southern states would be much cheaper. For example, where I live, a 2 bedroom apartment costs $1500 to rent per month. In Floride/Pennslvania its $600-700.

I pay $60 for parking in my apartment parking lot each month here. Thats gotta change now, though.

[MegalosSkylaki]

Yo, Shahani ,

Don't you read my Posts anymore

Hey !, da Bill was passed by the House on March 7 th -- and reported by a MEMBER "Cub Reporter" (or, perhaps "Pup" Reporter)

Check out da DOOOGSTER's " 417 to 3 : House Stikes Rapidly...." Thread---and , under a Hyperlink , cleverly dubbed "the BILL" is a CNN Report on >>>> the Bill.

Under its terms, Unemployment benefits would be extended by 13 weeks . Additionally, States with "high" Unemploment would get an other 13 weeks.

In the early '90's Recession, the States could 'opt in' in for the second 13 week extension if they picked part of the Tab. Most did, because it bought in Federal monies to local economies.

Errr...Anybody know the "low " unemployment States ?

da DOOOG, Pup Reporter

P.S. Don't nobody say da DOOOG done nothin' for nobody; here's the link AGAIN

[crockett]

well my company is kind of dirty and will try and not pay you unemployment. I'm not sure what the requirements for getting unemployment are (ie: can you get it if you get fired,quit or just when you get laid off) But we get paid piece work so they don't have to pay us unless we do work. So in short if they want to get rid of you they either just give you all the crap jobs or just stop routing you, intill you quit.

I'm sure there is some legal way to deal with this but who wants to go through all that. It's just pretty lame that companys can do this type of stuff. Since 9-11 our work load has been nothing, I am making about half of what I made b4 9-11. There is really not much better out there so I don't quit.

[MegalosSkylaki]

Dear Crockett ,

When a Company treats you in such a fashion that any reasonable person would quit, this called Constructive termination (as differentiated from Actual where they discharge you.

It is settled law that it's deemed by the Courts as equivalent to actual termination.

CONSTRUCTIVEDOOOG

[nunyadam]

Just don't forget you have to pay taxes on unemployment .

nunya