Unemployment Guides
Everything you need to know.
Plain-language guides on how unemployment insurance works — from eligibility and filing to taxes and appeals.
How Unemployment Insurance Works
The federal-state structure, who pays for it, how claims flow, and what to expect from the process.
Read guide →Eligibility Requirements
Which job separations qualify, minimum earnings thresholds, and the "able and available" standard.
Read guide →The Base Period Explained
What the base period is, how the standard vs. alternate base period works, and why it determines your benefit.
Read guide →How to File for Unemployment
Step-by-step filing guide: when to file, what information you need, and what happens after you apply.
Read guide →Unemployment Benefits & Taxes
Federal and state tax treatment of UI benefits, Form 1099-G, withholding options, and what to do at tax time.
Read guide →Partial Unemployment Benefits
How working part-time affects your benefits, earnings disregards by state, and how to report earnings.
Read guide →Overpayments & Appeals
What triggers an overpayment, the difference between fault and non-fault, and how to appeal a denial.
Read guide →Job Search Requirements
Weekly work-search rules by state, what counts as a job contact, and what to document.
Read guide →Ready to calculate your benefit?
All 50 states covered. 2026 data. No sign-up required.