How To File For Unemployment
To file a new unemployment claim in Oregon, go to this link and follow these instructions: In some cases, you must file an initial claim by calling one of the Oregon Unemployment Insurance Centers and will not be able to file for unemployment using the Online Claim System. These are:
- You filed an unemployment claim against another state within the last twelve months.
- You have not worked in Oregon in the past 18 months.
- You worked as a merchant seaman in the last 18 months.
- You are currently outside of the United States.
- In the above circumstances, you must file your claim by calling one of our Unemployment Insurance Centers by Friday of this week. Unemployment insurance claims are no longer handled through our local Employment offices.
It takes about 30 minutes to file your claim online. A summary of all your answers will be available upon successful completion. We recommend you print the summary pages and keep them with your records. Before filing your claim online, please gather and be prepared to provide the following information:
- Your Social Security Number.
- Your work history for the last 18 months, including dates of employment, your employers’ business names, addresses and phone numbers. (If you worked for a Federal (non-military) employer, you may find this information on an SF-8 or SF-50.)
- Your salary and total income from each employer.
- If you are not a citizen of the United States, you will need your Alien Registration Number and documentation.
- Phone number where you can be reached during normal business hours (8:00 AM – 5:00 PM Pacific Time).
Eligibility Requirements
To get Oregon Unemployment Benefits, you must:
- Be unemployed due to no fault of your own.
- Be able to work.
- Be actively looking for work.
What If You Get Fired, Laid-off, or Quit?
Can you get unemployment if you are fired from your job? Can you get it if you are laid-off or furloughed? Can you get unemployment if you are pregnant or out of work for medical reasons? Can you get unemployment in Oregon if you quit your job or when you take a leave of absence? Can you get it if you are on strike, or otherwise involved in a labor dispute? Every person’s case is unique, and each unemployment claim will be determined individually. In addition to the situations listed about, there are many other factors that can affect your unemployment claim:
- Are you actively looking for work? Did you take a break from your job search?
- Are you collecting a pension, social security, or a retirement income?
- Do you have any other sources of income such as rental income, investment income, etc.?
- Are you a student or currently enrolled in school, community college, or university?
- Were you a teacher, or employed by a school?
- Self-employment
- Are you authorized to work in the United States?
- Were you fired because you committed a felony or theft related to your job?
Again, everyone’s case is unique, and the scenarios listed above do not automatically disqualify you, but rather are examples of the types of things that will have a bearing on your claim.
How Much Will You Get?
The minimum weekly benefit amount available is currently $118 a week. The maximum potential weekly benefit is currently $507 a week. Your weekly benefit amount is based on your recent work record for a 12-month period known as the base year. Your benefit amount is set by law as a percentage of the wages you received during your base year. Your weekly amount is 1.25 percent of your total base year wages. Minimum and maximum amounts are set by law To get a more accurate estimate of how much you will get every week for unemployment, use the Oregon Unemployment Benefits Estimator: http://findit.emp.state.or.us/ocs/estimator/ What is the waiting week? The waiting week is generally the first week of your claim. You will not receive payment for your waiting week. All claimants must serve one waiting week per claim. To qualify for waiting week you must:
- have a valid claim
- claim the week
- meet all eligibility requirements
- be unemployed
Base Year
The base year is four calendar quarters (January through March, April through June, July through September, and October through December). For Oregon claims, a Regular Base Year is the first four of the last five calendar quarters completed at the time you file your initial application. For example, if you file a new claim in May, your base year is all four quarters of the prior calendar year. To qualify for a valid claim, your work and wages during the base period must meet one of the following two tests.
- Your total base period wages must be at least one and one half times the wages in the highest quarter in the base period and at least $1000 in wages earned in subject employment, or
- You must have worked 500 hours of subject employment.
Alternate Base Year
As of July 1, 2009, if you do not have enough wages and hours to qualify using a regular base year, your claim may be set up using an Alternate Base Year. An Alternate Base Year uses wages and hours during the most recent four calendar quarters completed. If you worked in the 3 month period immediately following the base year shown on your wage and potential benefit report, and you have not already asked the Employment Department to review your claim under the provisions of an Alternate Base year, please contact your UI Center.
An Alternate Base Year claim can be filed only if you do not qualify for a claim using a Regular Base Year, or an unemployment claim against another state, even if filing those other claims results in a lower weekly benefit amount. Benefit Year The total benefits you can receive are set by law. Your initial claim sets up a benefit year during which you may receive benefits. Your benefit year starts with the week you file your initial claim and lasts for 52 weeks. If the wages during the qualifying period are at least $9,048, you will be eligible for 26 weeks of benefits during the 52 week period. If your qualifying wages are less, then the most you could receive is one third of those wages, paid at $118 a week. See Online Unemployment Insurance Estimator to obtain your estimated weekly benefit amount.
Subsequent Claims
If you received benefits on an earlier claim, you must have worked and earned at least six times the weekly benefit amount of your second claim (after filing the first claim) for the second claim to be valid. Note: If you qualify for a new claim, the Employment Department uses different quarters based on your new filing date. If you worked only a little during your new base year, this could possibly result in a weekly benefit amount which is lower than your previous claim.
How To File A Weekly Claim?
Receiving benefits requires actions on your part. Use the Online Claim System or call the nearest Unemployment Insurance Center to file your initial unemployment application. The initial application can only be backdated one week, so don’t delay filing your initial application. If you wait two months to see if you can find other work, you will be not be able to claim back weeks. After your initial application is filed, you must use the Online Claim System or call the Weekly Claim Line to file a weekly claim for each week you wish to receive benefits.
- Look for work every week. Keep track of where you look for work or the dates you check with your employer or union about work.
- Keep track of any days that you are sick or away from the area where you live and work.
- Keep track of any hours you work and the money you earn during each week.
- If you are offered work, be able to tell us about the job offer: name of the company and person you spoke to, the work offered and details about the job, such as the duties, pay, hours etc.
You will receive benefits provided you meet the eligibility requirements for each week you claim after serving a Waiting Week.
There are two ways to claim
- You may use the Online Claim System at: www.WorkingInOregon.org/ocs
- You can also claim by phone using the Weekly Claim Line for your area
Weekly Claim Line Phone Numbers
- Albany (800) 982-8920
- Astoria (800) 982-8920
- Baker City (800) 982-8920
- Beaverton/Hillsboro (503) 224-0405
- Bend (541) 388-4066
- Bend UI Center (541) 388-4066
- Brookings (800) 982-8920
- Burns (800) 982-8920
- Canyon City (800) 982-8920
- Coos Bay (800) 982-8920
- Corvallis (800) 982-8920
- Dallas (503) 375-7900
- Enterprise (800) 982-8920
- Eugene (800) 982-8920
- Eugene UI Center (800) 982-8920
- Florence (800) 982-8920
- Grants Pass (800) 982-8920
- Hermiston (800) 982-8920
- Interstate (800) 982-8920
- Klamath Falls (800) 982-8920
- La Grande (800) 982-8920
- Lakeview (800) 982-8920
- Lebanon (800) 982-8920
- Lincoln City (800) 982-8920
- Madras (541) 388-4066
- McMinnville (800) 982-8920
- Medford (800) 982-8920
- Newport (800) 982-8920
- Ontario (800) 982-8920
- Oregon City (503) 224-0405
- Pendleton (800) 982-8920
- Portland Metro UI Center (503) 224-0405
- Prineville (541) 388-4066
- Redmond (541) 388-4066
- Roseburg (800) 982-8920
- Salem (503) 375-7900
- Springfield (800) 982-8920
- St. Helens (800) 982-8920
- The Dalles (800) 982-8920
- Tillamook (800) 982-8920
- Tualatin (503) 224-0405
- Woodburn (503) 224-0405
- All other locations – toll free (800) 982-8920
Unemployment Links and Resources
Official Oregon Unemployment Website
Oregon Unemployment Benefits Estimator
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