States

How To Apply For Unemployment In New Jersey

The State of New Jersey provides a comprehensive online experience and resources for the Division of Unemployment Insurance. When you log on, you’ll immediately have access to information about UI Benefits, a portal to file your claim, and be able to estimate how much your weekly benefits check will be. See below for helpful links and more information:

• Division of Unemployment Insurance (Main Website)
• File Your UI Benefits Claim Online
• File Your UI Benefits Claim by Telephone

If you voluntarily quit your job or your employment was terminated for misconduct, you may not be eligible for unemployment insurance benefits payments. Apply anyway, but your case will need to be reviewed before any weekly payments are awarded.

Calculating Your Weekly UI Benefits Payment Amount

In order to qualify to receive unemployment insurance benefits, you must have made at least $200 per week during twenty or more weeks in the base period used to calculate your benefits payment amount. The base period is the first four of the last five quarters you collected eligible wages. For wages to be eligible, your former employer must have been paying into the Unemployment Insurance benefits fund. Cash only jobs do not qualify.

If you do not meet the criteria above, you can still qualify if the total wages you received during your base period exceed $10,000. The maximum weekly unemployment insurance benefits payment you can receive in the State of New Jersey is $713 per week. You can calculate your exact payment by multiplying your base period average weekly wages by 60%. You can collect benefits payments for up to twenty-six weeks. There are no state level extensions available.

Applying for Unemployment Insurance Benefits

The easiest way by far to apply for unemployment insurance benefits is to apply online. You’ll need to be able to prove that you worked in New Jersey for at least some of the time during the past eighteen months of regular employment. Out of state employment or federal government employment wages can be applied to your base period, but only if you have in-state employment to combine with it. You’ll also need the following:

• Social Security Number
• Alien Registration Number (for legal aliens)
• Pension Information (if you’re receiving payments)
• Severance Pay Information
• Recall Date (if applicable)
• Reason for Separation

If you’re separating from the military, you’ll be asked to produce a Form DD-214. Federal government employees being laid off will need to provide Standard Forms 8 or 50. Union employees need to provide contact information for their union hall.

Filing an Unemployment Insurance Claim by Phone

If you’d like to file your unemployment insurance claim by telephone, you can call a New Jersey Reemployment Center any weekday (excluding holidays) between the hours of 8:00 AM and 3:30 PM. You’ll need to have the same information listed above available to provide to the customer service agent you speak with. Here are the best numbers to call:

• North New Jersey: (201) 601-4100
• Central New Jersey: (732) 761-2020
• South New Jersey: (856) 507-2340
• Out of State: (888) 795-6672

Once your claim is filed, you’ll be required to submit a weekly claim that verifies your continued unemployment status and confirms that you are still looking for and are willing and physically able to take on a new employment opportunity if offered.