Oregon Unemployment Benefits

The Unemployment Insurance in Oregon is designed to compensate a part of the wages lost by the applicants for no fault of their own. You may apply for unemployment benefits if you were laid off from work or if your working hours.

Learn about Unemployment Insurance in the state of Oregon and find all the important information you need to qualify for unemployment benefits.

Oregon UI Benefits Calculator

The Oregon Unemployment Benefits Calculator helps you estimate your UI weekly benefits amount.

Oregon Unemployment Calculator

In the state of Oregon, the weekly benefit amount will be 1.25% of the total base year gross income you earned. The Weekly Benefit Amount (WBA), however, will not exceed the minimum and maximum limit set by the authorities. The maximum WBA provided in Oregon is $738, and the minimum WBA is $183.

Eligibility For UI Benefits In Oregon

To be eligible for Oregon UI, individuals must have earned enough wages in the past 18 months, be unemployed through no fault of their own, and be able and available to work. You must also be a United States citizen or be legally authorized to work in Oregon.

Monetary Eligibility

To be qualified for unemployment benefits in Oregon, the following conditions must be met:

• You must have received a minimum of $1,000 in subject wages during the base period. Subject wages are the earnings of the applicant on which your employer has paid UI taxes
• The total wages earned during the base period must be at least 1.5 times more than the wages earned during the quarter in which you earned the highest amount of wages

Or

You worked for a minimum of 500 hours and received subject wages in your previous job.

The Oregon Employment Department (OED) uses two approaches to calculate wages to find out if you are eligible for benefits or not. As per the standard base period, the wages you earned during the first four of the last five calendar quarters will be considered.

If you do not meet the requirements using the standard base period, your wages will automatically be calculated using the alternative base period. In this, the wages you earned in the previous four calendar quarters from the date of your application for benefits will be considered for qualification.

Learn more about Oregon UI eligibility requirements

Job Separation

It is important for the applicants to promptly disclose the reason for separating from the previous organization. The laws in Oregon dictate that you will only be eligible for unemployment benefits if you lost your previous job due to no fault of your own.

The state describes various types of work separations to help define the nature of job-separation clearly:

The primary rule in Oregon is that you must not have lost your job as a result of your own fault, and there must be a good cause attributable to the employer. Failing to meet this requirement may lead to your claim for UI benefits being denied.

Also, providing false or misleading information regarding job-separation may lead to the stoppage of the benefits to you, and you may also have to pay the benefits received with interest and penalty. The state of Oregon considers such misleading attempts as fraud.

Eligibility Calculator

Maintaining Eligibility

You will gain eligibility for unemployment insurance benefits once you establish that you’ve earned the stipulated amount of wages in the base period and you lost your last job for no fault of your own. Receiving your weekly benefit amount, however, will depend on you fulfilling the following conditions:

• You must be physically and mentally able to work throughout the benefit period
• You must be available for work in the entire duration of the benefit period. If at any time you become unavailable for work, you must intimate the concerned department promptly
• You should be actively seeking employment opportunities
• You must consult at least five prospective employers each week as a part of the job-search requirement
• You must submit a report on the job-search requirement exercise, whereby you inform about – date of contact, name of the company, contact details of the company, online job posting ID number (if applicable), type of work applied for, mode of contact (phone, email, online resume submission etc.), and the result of the contact
• You must not reject any job offers made to you with a ‘good cause’. You must explain the cause to the concerned department, which will make a decision if the reason for rejection is good or not

You must submit all this information every week when you apply for weekly benefits. Failure to submit any of the necessary documents will lead to discontinuation of the benefit amount. The concerned department will also conduct audits to verify if your documents and explanations are genuine. If it is found that you’ve submitted false or misleading information, you will face consequences ranging from non-payment of benefits to facing fraud charges.

Learn about Oregon UI job search requirements

How To Apply For UI Benefits In Oregon?

You can apply for unemployment insurance benefits using the Online Claim System or over the phone. Both methods allow you to submit your initial claim.

To apply for Oregon unemployment benefits, be sure to have the following documents ready:

• A valid social security number
• A driving license or any other ID provided by the state
• Recent paystubs received from your last employer during the base period to determine your WBA
• Name and contact details of your previous organization and your previous employer
• SF08 and SF50 along with your Federal Employee Identification Number if you were a federal employee
• DD-214 along with the start date and end date of employment if you were ex-military personnel

Learn how to apply for Oregon UI benefits

How To File Weekly Claims

Once you submit your application, you will receive The Wage and Potential Benefit Report through the mail. You must go through the document carefully and verify all the information provided in the document. You must file a claim each week in order to receive a UI benefit. You can file your weekly claim over the phone or by using the Online Claim System.

If there are any discrepancies in the report’s information, instructions regarding rectifying the mistake will be given within the form, which you will be expected to follow.

The report will also contain Customer Identification Number (CID), which is a unique number assigned to you. This number will be used on all the documents concerning your application to safeguard your identity. You will need CID while using both online and telephonic services.

You will also be asked to create a four-digit Personal Identification Number (PIN) at the time you file your unemployment claim . You will need to sue the PIN when you make use of any automated systems.

Learn how to claim weekly benefits

Things To Know After Filing An Application

You must be aware of certain information as they begin to receive their weekly benefits every week. Lack of information may sometimes lead you to situations where break rules inadvertently or miss opportunities that may have helped you in your career.

Overpayments and Fraud

The state of Oregon stresses on distributing the resources among the applicants fairly and without any malpractice. If you happen to receive unemployment compensation that wasn’t intended for you, you will be affecting the fair distribution of the funds.

When you receive a share of benefits that was not intended to you, this will be considered as an overpayment. Note that if you receive an overpayment, you are liable to pay the excessive amount back.

When you receive an overpayment, you will receive a notice from the concerned department, which will contain repayment details and your right to appeal. The notice will also contain the administrative decision ascertaining the reason for the overpayment.

Some of the reasons that can result in an overpayment:

• Incorrectly reporting the wages you’ve earned during the base period
• Providing a false reason for job-separation
• A decision reversed by an appeal, administrative hearings, or employment appeals board
• Unemployment compensation from the department prior to finding an issue with your application
• Your WBA is reduced due to a correction imposed on your base period based on your base period wage

Learn more about Oregon unemployment fraud.

Benefits Extension

The state offers extended UI benefits only when the unemployment rate is high or when there is a declared natural disaster. Previous extensions like Pandemic Unemployment Assistance have all expired.

Job Training Assistance

The state of Oregon provides various avenues to look for jobs and apprenticeship programs to help applicants land on their feet at the earliest. The state also provides opportunities for the applicants to improve their skill sets through various training programs to make them better in their area of expertise.

WorkSource Oregon (WSO) is a network of local and state service providers which helps those who are looking for jobs by helping them find appropriate jobs or by providing training services.

The state of Oregon also provides services such as the Career Information System (CIS), which allows you to take assessments to let you know what occupation suits you best.

The state of Oregon also provides an online tool called iMatchSkills, wherein you can use this tool to find out which potential occupation will suit you best. The tool uses your skills and work history to determine what kind of job will be more suitable for you.

Learn more about job training opportunities in OR

Oregon unemployment contact information

If you have questions about the Oregon unemployment insurance program or require assistance with filing, you can call the unemployment claims center.

If you are looking for help with finding a new job, including resume writing help and training programs, visit your local Worksource Oregon Job Center.

More Oregon Benefits

Oregon offers may other benefits and social assistance in addition to unemployment insurance. Here are just a few:

Paid Leave Oregon

Eligible employees in Oregon can take up to 12 weeks of paid leave during a 52-week period for reasons such as family, medical, or safe leave, with the period starting from the first day of leave. In certain situations, pregnant employees may qualify for an additional 2 weeks of leave, for a total of 14 weeks. Employees have the flexibility to choose when and how they take their leave, and they receive a percentage of their wages while they are on leave. Importantly, taking paid leave protects an employee’s job and position, provided they have worked for the same Oregon employers for at least 90 consecutive days.

There are three types of paid leave. Family leave, Medical leave, and Safety leave. These employee benefits are for life events such as the birth of a child, caring for a sick family member, or situations involving domestic violence.

Oregon Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)

The Oregon Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), also known as Oregon SNAP, is a federal food assistance program that provides eligible low-income individuals and families with funds to purchase food. Formerly known as food stamps, the program is administered by the Oregon Department of Human Services (DHS). Oregon SNAP benefits are distributed via an Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) card, which can be used at participating grocery stores and other food retailers. The amount of benefits a household receives depends on various factors, including income, household size, and expenses.

TANF (Temporary Assistance to Needy Families)

TANF (Temporary Assistance to Needy Families) is a program that offers cash benefits to low-income families with children to help them meet their basic needs, such as food, clothing, rent, and utilities, while working towards self-sufficiency. The benefits are distributed through an Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) card, which can be used like a debit card. The maximum monthly benefit for a family of three is $506, and most recipients are also enrolled in the JOBS program, which assists them in finding employment. Eligibility for TANF requires living in Oregon, having low income and few assets, and either being 18 or younger and head of household, pregnant, or having a child who is 18 or younger.

Employment Related Day Care (ERDC)

Families who work may be eligible for financial assistance to cover their child care expenses, such as registration fees. The Employment Related Day Care (ERDC) program is a subsidy program that helps pay for child care. Families may still need to pay a copayment depending on their income and family size. ODHS pays a portion of the child care bill directly to the provider, but the maximum amount is capped, and copays can range from $0 to $130 per month. To qualify for ERDC benefits, applicants must be Oregon residents, employed or attending school, meet income requirements, and have a qualifying child.

Oregon Health Plan (OHP

The Oregon Health Plan is a state-sponsored Medicaid health care program that provides health care coverage for low-income residents of Oregon, including children, pregnant women, families with children, and disabled individuals. The program offers medical, dental, and mental health services at little or no cost.

Call 211 for benefits

Calling 211 is a non-emergency service that provides information about a variety of community resources, such as food banks, housing assistance, and health care services.

• Resources for immigrant and undocumented communities
• Help getting groceries
• Help paying utility bills
• Help paying rent or finding housing
• Immediate help for domestic violence situations
• General information about COVID-19
• Help finding and paying for child care
• Cash benefits
• Transportation assistance
• Social assistance

Call: 2-1-1 or 1-866-698-6155 

Website: 211info.org