Who is eligible for benefits?

When you first apply for Unemployment Insurance benefits, we look at a few different factors to see if you qualify.

Unemployment benefits are based on wage information from your employers in the last 18 months. If you live in NJ but only worked in other states, you should apply in a state where you physically worked.

We need to know why you're out of work, and whether your recent earnings meet the minimum required by law.

After you first qualify for benefits, you will need to meet some additional requirements in order to keep receiving them.

Some workers, like school employees and business owners, have their own unique qualifications. If you are self-employed and do not pay for Unemployment Insurance through your paycheck, you may not be eligible for benefits.

Read our FAQs on who is eligible for benefits here .

Unemployment Insurance benefits are meant for people who lose their job “through no fault of their own,” such as an employer’s lack of work or a layoff due to downsizing. If you voluntarily quit your job for reasons that were not work-related, or you were terminated for misconduct, your eligibility will need to be reviewed. A representative from our division (a claims examiner) will conduct a fact-finding interview by either phone or email to determine whether you are eligible for Unemployment Insurance benefits. Your employer(s) may also be requested to participate. The claims examiner will review the facts that you and your employer(s) provide, and determine your eligibility based on the law. If you were fired due to misconduct or you quit voluntarily, your benefits may be delayed or denied. Read more about quitting or getting fired.

To qualify for unemployment payments from New Jersey, you must have made at least a certain amount of money during your "base year." You don’t have to calculate your weekly benefit rate. Department of Labor staff will do these calculations when they review your application.

Your weekly payment amount is determined by the earnings you made in your base year.