North Carolina Unemployment Eligibility Calculator
Qualifications & Eligibility Requirements for NC Unemployment
North Carolina unemployment benefits are available for jobless workers who qualify and continue to maintain their eligibility. If you meet the requirements set forth by the North Carolina Division and Department of Employment Security (DES), unemployment compensation can provide financial relief during a challenging time.
You must meet several requirements in order to be approved for UI benefits in North Carolina. There are monetary eligibility requirements, job separation qualifications, and ongoing eligibility requirements. It’s important to understand these requirements if you become unemployed.
To qualify for NC unemployment benefits, you must:
- Be unemployed due to no fault of your own
To be eligible for NC unemployment benefits, you must:
- Have earned enough wages during your base period
- Be physically able and available for work
- Be actively seeking work
- Register with NCWorks
- File weekly claims
- Be a United States citizen or be legally authorized to work in North Carolina
Eligibility vs Qualification
While these words seem interchangeable, NC DES makes a distinction in their legal language.
Eligibility: Eligibility involves working and earning enough money within your base period to establish a claim for benefits, filing weekly claims, meeting work search requirements, and being able and available for work. Eligibility is determined weekly. Ineligibility results in a postponement of benefits until you meet the weekly requirements.
Qualification: Qualification focuses on the reason for your job separation. To qualify, you must be unemployed through no fault of your own. A disqualification means you have lost your benefits, either because you were fired or because you quit your job without good cause.
You can be eligible and disqualified for benefits at the same time. You can also be ineligible and qualified for benefits at the same time. You must be both eligible and qualified to receive a UI benefit in North Carolina.
Monetary Eligibility Requirements
The NC DES looks at your previous work history over the last year. This is known as your base period. To be eligible for unemployment compensation, you must have earned at least $780 in the last two quarters of your base period. The total wages you earned during your base period should be at least six times the North Carolina average weekly insured wage to qualify for UI benefits. Your employer must also be paying taxes into the NC unemployment system so your wages are insured.
What does “average weekly insured wage” mean?
NC DES calculates the average weekly insured wage by dividing the total annual wages of all covered employers by the average monthly number of employees, and then dividing that number by 52.
(Total Employer Wages / Average Monthly # of Employees) / 52 = Average Weekly Insured Wage
What is a base period?
Your base period normally includes the first four of the last five completed calendar quarters before the date you applied for UI benefits.
If you didn’t earn enough during your base period, the DES may use an alternative base period to determine whether you are eligible for UI benefits. The alternative base period consists of the last four completed calendar quarters immediately before the first day of your benefit year.
What is a benefit year?
Your benefit year is a span of 52 weeks starting from the date you first register for work and successfully file a valid claim.
Wage Transcript & Monetary Determination
Once you’ve submitted your application for unemployment compensation in North Carolina, you will receive Wage Transcript & Monetary Determination. This isn’t a promise of benefits, but it does detail what you could potentially receive.
The determination includes the calculation of your weekly benefit amount and your earnings allowance – which is the amount of income you can earn from part-time work and still be eligible for a partial unemployment insurance benefit.
The determination letter will also tell you the maximum amount of benefits you can receive, and the duration of your eligibility for these benefits. In North Carolina, unemployment insurance will last between 12-20 weeks, depending on the current unemployment rate (adjusted seasonally). During periods of high unemployment, temporary UI extended benefits may be activated. Please note that programs like Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) have expired and are no longer available.
Non-monetary Eligibility Requirements
To be eligible for unemployment benefits in North Carolina, there are several additional non-monetary requirements you must meet.
You must:
- Be physically able and available for work
- Be actively seeking work
- Register with NCWorks
- File weekly claims
- Be a United States citizen or be legally authorized to work in North Carolina
Let’s take a closer look at what these requirements mean.
You must be able to work
You need to be physically able, which means you’re healthy and capable enough to perform the job you’re seeking. If an opportunity comes along, you should be able to take it without physical constraints hindering your performance. If you collect Social Security Disability benefits or worker’s compensation payments and are unable to work, you will be deemed ineligible.
You must be available for work
Being available for work means that you have the time and flexibility to accept a new job if you receive a job offer. It also means that you are not restricted by other commitments that could interfere with a typical work schedule.
You must be actively seeking work
You are required to actively search for a new job, apply to job openings, attend interviews, and do everything you can to secure employment. It’s a sign to the Employment Security Division that you’re making a genuine effort to find work. According to the North Carolina work search requirements, you must document 3 job contacts each week.
You must accept a suitable job offer
Another NC unemployment eligibility requirement is that you must be willing to accept a suitable job offer. If a position that matches your skills and experience is offered to you, you’re expected to take it. Turning down job offers could lead to a denial of NC unemployment benefits.
You must register with NCWorks
Registration with NCWorks is also required. You can register online at ncworks.gov or in person at your local NCWorks Career Center. NCWorks connects job seekers with employers and provides resources to aid in your job search. Registering demonstrates that you’re proactive in your job hunt. With NCWorks, you can upload your resume, search for jobs, research labor market information, and access a variety of reemployment tools.
You must be a United States Citizen
To receive unemployment insurance benefits, you must either be a United States citizen or be legally authorized to work in North Carolina. If you’re not a U.S. citizen, you will need to provide your Alien number and the expiration date from your Employment Authorization Document.
Job Separation Qualification
To qualify for North Carolina unemployment compensation, you must be unemployed through no fault of your own. This means that your separation from your job must not be due to any misconduct or if you quit without good cause.
If you were laid off because your employer had to cut costs or had to close the business, you would qualify for benefits because you did nothing wrong and the job separation was out of your control.
However, if you were fired for violating company policies or for consistently poor performance, you would likely be disqualified from receiving benefits. This is because your own actions led to your job loss.
In some cases, you might quit your job and still be eligible for unemployment insurance benefits, but this is only true if you quit for a good cause. Good cause refers to circumstances that would make any reasonable person stop working. For instance, if you were being harassed at work, leaving the job under such conditions might qualify as good cause.
Each case is evaluated individually by the North Carolina Division of Employment Security. The DES will review your specific circumstances and determine whether your reason for separation meets the requirements for unemployment benefits.
Ongoing eligibility requirements
To receive your weekly UI compensation, you must maintain your eligibility by meeting ongoing eligibility requirements.
Filing Weekly Certification
Each week that you’re unemployed and want to receive benefits, you must submit a Weekly Certification. This certification is a set of questions designed to confirm that you were able, available, and actively seeking work during that week. You must also report any wages earned that week, and report and job offers you received.
Work Search Requirements
During the certification process, you must also document 3 new job contacts each week to show that you met the NC unemployment work search requirements.
Attend any scheduled meetings
You are required to attend all scheduled meetings. These might be meetings with potential employers, NCWorks career counselors, or with the Employment Security Division. Missing these meetings will jeopardize your benefits.
Provide any requested documentation
If the DES contacts you for more information about your claim, you are expected to respond promptly. Requested information might include proof of your job search activities, employment records, or other information relevant to your claim. Failure to provide this information can lead to a suspension of UI benefits.
Issues that can affect your eligibility
Various factors could complicate your North Carolina unemployment insurance claim and lead to a denial of benefits. The reason behind your unemployment, any separation payments you might have received, or a failure to complete a weekly work search could raise issues that need to be addressed.
If you find yourself denied unemployment insurance payments, you have the right to file an appeal. The denial notice will include specific instructions for appealing. You should continue to file weekly certifications during the appeals process.
Be honest and accurate
One important step when filing your weekly certifications is to report any income you’ve earned during the week. Report the income for the week it was earned, not when it was received. Not reporting earned income could be considered NC unemployment fraud, which carries serious consequences. It’s important to be honest and transparent during the process to ensure your eligibility for unemployment benefits.
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