It has been observed that Americans filing new claims for unemployment support has seen an uptick, yet remains at historically low levels. Therefore, it is wise to remain vigilant when providing your personal data online or offline, especially if solicitations requests appear from individuals claiming to work at your state’s unemployment office.
Congress has passed temporary unemployment benefits for workers impacted by lockdown due to COVID-19 pandemic in states affected by it, providing freelancers and self-employed workers a supplement from these benefits; but these may only serve as temporary measures and begin showing cracks over time.
DETAILS
Before receiving benefits, your state must verify that you meet its eligibility requirements. The initial determination, known as the Monetary Determination, details how much income was assessed during your base period by the Department of Labor. If there are discrepancies in any information used to calculate your rate (such as missing employers or wages), you can request a re-evaluation.
As part of your claim filing requirements, each week you should report what jobs you’ve searched for, any job offers received and why any were declined – either online or over the phone. You must file these claims promptly in order to qualify.
Typically, to file for unemployment benefits in one state you must work in that same state where you filed. However, if you’ve worked multiple states within 18 months and wish to use wages from any of them when filing your claim. Some states also offer contract work opportunities which could increase weekly benefits.
A WAY OUT
Last week, more Americans filed new claims for unemployment support than anticipated – an indicator that the economy remains slow to rebound after its recent slump. New jobless insurance applications surged nearly five-fold over previous record levels as state labor departments struggled with managing such an overwhelming influx of applicants.
The weekly claim figures include both those applying for regular unemployment benefits as well as assistance through the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) program, which offers self-employed workers and gig economy employees assistance during pandemic events. It also shows the number of people who have exhausted 26 weeks of regular benefits but are receiving 13 more through PUA.
Economists were expecting higher claim numbers from states like Pennsylvania and Ohio than was actually seen; their claim levels more than doubled that of the national average. Economists also anticipated seeing more Asian American claimants; this may reflect that these workers tend to work in industries hard hit by the lockdown such as restaurants or small shops where finding replacement employment may be harder.
