Unemployment benefits give you temporary income when you lose your main job due to no fault of your own. The money partly replaces your lost wages and helps you pay expenses while you look for new work.

The benefits are based on the total amount in unemployment insurance (UI) taxes your former employer(s) paid on your behalf. (The UI taxes paid by the employer have NOT been deducted from your paycheck, but are paid solely by the employer.) Benefits are not based on your financial need. While you get unemployment benefits, your goal is to get back to work as soon as possible.

In North Carolina, you may get up to $350 a week in unemployment benefits, for a duration of from 12 to 20 weeks based on the unemployment rate.

Apply online at des.nc.gov. You cannot apply in person. The steps below will guide you through the process to file a claim for unemployment benefits.

Step 1: File a claim.

Apply online through MyNCUIBenefits.

After you submit your claim, N.C. Division of Employment Security (DES) will:

• Review your unemployment benefits application.
• Contact your last or current employer.
• Review how much money you made from your employment.
• Let you know how much in unemployment benefits you may be eligible for.
• Update you whenever something changes with your claim.

For more information see Filing Your Unemployment Application.

If you need help filing your claim, you can call us at 888-737-0259.

Step 2: Register to look for a job through NCWorks.

Create a new account or reactivate your existing NCWorks.gov account to look for work. NCWorks is here to help you find a job. They are a separate organization from DES.

Step 3: Look for a job.

Starting the week you file your application for unemployment benefits, you must contact at least three employers about a job each week. You can replace one of those three contacts with a reemployment activity like attending a job fair, resume workshop, or interview preparation session through NCWorks.

Keep a record of what you do to look for work, which is called a “work search contact.” DES has an example work search log you can print and use to fill out your weekly work searches. Remember to keep this log because DES may ask you to show your work searches within five years of collecting unemployment benefits.

For more information see Work Search Guidelines FAQs.

Step 4: File weekly certifications.

You must file a weekly certification online or by phone for each week you want to get unemployment benefits. Begin doing this the week you file your claim. This is where you share with us any changes in your employment, wages and work search activities each week.

Important: During this process, DES may reach out to you with questions about your unemployment benefits claim by phone or email. Please check your voicemail and email and respond quickly as this may affect your benefits.

For more information see File your weekly certification.

If your job ended: You should apply for benefits the same week you become unemployed.

To be able to get unemployment benefits, you must:

• Have lost your main job due to no fault of your own.
• Have made enough money through past employment.
• Be able and available to work.
• Actively look for a new job.
• Register to find a job with NCWorks.gov.

To learn more, go to Am I Eligible for Unemployment.

To get unemployment benefits, you must register with NCWorks at NCWorks.gov. NCWorks is separate from DES and is a one-stop website for job seekers and employers in North Carolina. You can search for jobs, create resumes, and find education help. An NCWorks account is different from your MyNCUIBenefits account with DES. You must file a claim with DES AND also register with NCWorks to get unemployment benefits.

If you are not sure if you meet the requirements, you should apply anyway. We will let you know after we review your information.

When you apply for unemployment benefits, we may use the information you share for other benefit-related reasons.

You will get a reminder about this any time you apply for unemployment benefits.

To see related federal regulations, go to: 20 C.F.R. Section 603.11(a).

To get unemployment benefits:

• You need to have had a job where your employer paid unemployment insurance taxes (covered employment).
• You must have earned enough wages in at least two quarters of your base period.
• The total amount of wages you earned in at least two quarters of your base period must be at least six times the average weekly insured wage.
• You must be able and available to work, and actively looking for work.

After you apply for unemployment benefits, DES will decide how much in benefits you may be able to get each week and how long you can get them. You will get a determination notice from DES that tells you the amount of unemployment benefits you may be able to get if you meet all other requirements.

If your employer wants to file for your unemployment benefits, the employer can only do it if their business has enough money in the employer’s unemployment insurance account with DES. If there’s not enough, the employer must first pay some money to DES.

There are also some rules the employer needs to follow:

1. The employer can only help an employee in this way once a year.
2. The time the employee gets partial unemployment benefits can’t be for more than six weeks in a row.
3. Before the employer helps the employee with their unemployment claim, they must pay DES the full cost of the unemployment benefits that the employee will get.

Unemployment benefits provide temporary financial help to eligible and qualified individuals. Each individual who gets these benefits is legally responsible for making sure they follow the rules set by North Carolina law.

To be able to get unemployment benefits, you must:

1. Have lost your main job due to no fault of your own.
2. Have made enough money through past employment.
3. Be able and available to work.
4. Be actively looking for work.

Remember these facts when you are filing for unemployment benefits to make sure you get quick, accurate payment.

Yes. To meet this requirement for unemployment benefits, you must:

1. Register to look for a job at NCWorks.gov by creating an online account. If you already have an account with NCWorks, just sign in with your username and password to reactivate your account. Go to the NCWorks homepage and click Sign In / Register to get started.
2. Keep your account active: If more than 90 days have passed since you last logged in to NCWorks.gov, you must log in to reactivate your registration. 

If you do not register to look for a job at NCWorks.gov or keep your account active, your unemployment benefits may be delayed or denied.

Any money you made from an employer that paid unemployment insurance taxes (also known as “covered employment”) can be used to establish a claim for unemployment benefits. If your employer did not pay unemployment insurance taxes to North Carolina, you cannot get unemployment benefits in North Carolina.

You must be both qualified and eligible to receive unemployment benefits.

• Qualification is decided when you file your claim. Generally, you can qualify for unemployment benefits if it wasn’t your fault your job ended. In many cases, if it was your choice or you were fired for misconduct connected with work, you are disqualified, and you will not get unemployment benefits.
• Eligibility means DES checks if you worked enough and made enough money during the base period. Also, you must actively search for a job and be ready and able to work each week.
  • If you don't search for work or aren't able and available to work, you won't be eligible for unemployment benefits until you meet the weekly work search requirements.

You can get between $15 and $350 per week according to North Carolina law.

To figure out how much money you may get in unemployment benefits, DES will follow North Carolina law and look at the wages you earned in the last two quarters of your base period. To learn the exact amount you’ll get and how long you can get unemployment benefits, you must first apply.

• DES will add up those wages, divide them by 52, and round it down to the nearest dollar. To get a payment, the total must be $15 or more.
• DES will send you a determination in the mail (and found on your MyNCUIBenefits account) called your “Wage Transcript and Monetary Determination.” This determination will show you the information DES used to decide how much money you can get each week.
• Read this determination carefully to make sure your wages are correct. This determination DOES NOT guarantee that you will get unemployment payments. You still need to meet other eligibility requirements.

You can get between 12 and 20 weeks* of regular unemployment benefits in North Carolina if you are qualified and eligible for benefits on a weekly basis. The number depends on the seasonally adjusted statewide unemployment rate. DES calculates this rate on January 1 and July 1.

*You can find out how many weeks DES determined you can get benefits for in your monetary determination document. Log in to your MyNCUIBenefits account to see your determination information.

Unemployment benefits are paid from the North Carolina Unemployment Insurance Fund, which is funded by a tax paid by employers.

Yes, but you must report in your weekly certification all wages you earn before taxes for each week you work. You can still get unemployment benefits while doing freelance work or other odd jobs if you make less than your earning allowance. Check your earning allowance on your monetary determination in your MyNCUIBenefits account. However, money may be subtracted from your weekly benefit amount depending on how much you make.

Make sure to report your earnings before taxes for any work you did each week (Sunday-Saturday), even if you haven’t been paid yet.

You are generally not eligible for unemployment benefits when/if you have a contract or an offer to return for the next school year. This is because you are considered still employed by the school or school district.

If you are not a U.S. citizen, you will need to provide your Social Security number and your Alien ID Number and expiration date from your employment authorization document. Check the What You Need to File for Unemployment page to see the list of other information you will need.

You may not qualify for benefits if DES decides your total or partial unemployment is because of a labor dispute.

If you are former military personnel in the last two years, you will need all the information seen under What You Need to File for Unemployment, plus your DD214 Member 4 Copy.

You can file your claim without this document, but you will need to submit it through your MyNCUIBenefits account to complete your claim to possibly get benefits.

If you live in North Carolina, but did not earn wages in North Carolina, you must contact the agency responsible for unemployment claims in the state where you worked and follow its instructions for filing your claim. This is called an interstate claim.

Yes. If you earned wages in the last 15 months in North Carolina, you may file an unemployment claim in North Carolina. You can file your unemployment claim online on the DES website.

If you earned wages in the last 15 months in the state you live in, North Carolina or any other state, you must file in any state that you have base period wages.

Once you are working full time again, you must immediately stop filing your weekly certification. There is no need to call us to tell us you got a new job. We will stop paying you when you stop filling out your weekly certification.

In some cases, yes. If you have a part-time job, tell DES in your initial claim how much money you made (before taxes) for the weeks you worked. While you are getting benefits, you must report any money you make from part-time work in your weekly certification.  

Make sure you still meet all the other rules to get unemployment benefits. For more information see: What requirements do I need to meet to possibly get unemployment benefits?

If you lose your job again, you can file for unemployment benefits again. Filing online through MyNCUIBenefits is the fastest way to process your claim. If you need help filing your claim, you can call the UI Support Center at 888-737-0259.

It can. It depends on the level of disability, your application status and why you are getting the benefits.

It may if the worker’s compensation is mandated by the North Carolina Industrial Commission.

Usually, no. To be eligible for benefits, you must be unemployed through no fault of your own, be actively looking for a job, and be able and available to work. DES will decide on a case-by-case basis.

Yes. If you are getting a pension from a base period employer, that will reduce how much money you can get each week.

You should let DES know immediately. You can notify DES:

• When you file your initial claim for unemployment benefits.
• When you file your weekly certification.
• By calling 888-737-0259.

No. Social Security retirement benefits do not affect your weekly benefits. You are not required to report Social Security retirement benefits to DES.

You are not eligible for benefits while you get separation pay, like severance. You may become eligible once the weeks covered by severance pay are complete.

You may still be eligible for unemployment benefits if your employer had a written vacation pay policy in place before your job ended.

If you got unemployment benefits and DES later determined that you did not meet requirements to get those benefits, that is called an overpayment. You will need to repay those unemployment benefits or submit an appeal to try to change the decision.

• To learn more about overpayments, go to: Overpayment FAQs.
• To learn about how to appeal a determination or decision, go to: File an Appeal.
• To learn about how to avoid fraud, go to: Fraud FAQs.

Yes. Every week. You must contact at least three employers about a job (this is called “Work Search”) each week you are getting benefits. Keep a record of these work search contacts.  

For more information, view the Work Search Guidelines.

You must accept any work that matches your skillset and experience during your first 10 weeks of the unemployment benefit period.

After the first 10 weeks, any job that would pay you at least 120% of your weekly benefit amount is considered suitable work, which you must accept.

You need to register to look for a job at NCWorks.gov by creating an online account. If you do not register, you cannot get benefits.

To register on NCWorks Online:

1. Go to NCWorks.gov.
2. On the home page, click Sign In / Register.
3. Under the Individual category, click Individual Registration.  
4. *Please note: You will have three registration options. Please select your preferred registration. Comprehensive Registration or Register with a Resume will be the best choices.
5. Follow the steps and fill in all required (*) fields.
6. When the “What would you like to do next?” page displays, you are signed in. 

If you do not register at NCWorks.gov by setting up an account, or keep your account active, your unemployment benefits may be delayed or denied.

NCWorks Online is a one-stop resource for job seekers and employers in North Carolina. Job seekers can:

• Search for jobs.
• Create resumes.
• Find education and training opportunities.

Employers can post jobs, find candidates and search labor market information.  

According to the law, you must be registered to look for a job with NCWorks at NCWorks.gov to be considered for unemployment benefits. NCWorks is separate from DES, but you must be registered with both NCWorks and DES to possibly get benefits.

If you don't have enough wages in the base period, DES will use a different base period, known as an alternative base period, to check if you can get unemployment benefits. This period is the last four completed calendar quarters just before the start of your benefit year.

A value used to determine if you may be able to get benefits. The average weekly insured wage is the average weekly wage earned by workers whose employers pay unemployment insurance taxes. It is calculated by dividing total wages by the number of employees covered by unemployment insurance reported to the states by employers, divided by 52 (the number of weeks in a year).

If you made more than the average weekly insured wage for North Carolina, you may qualify for unemployment benefits.

The timeframe that DES uses to see if you are eligible for unemployment benefits and how much you might get. DES will look at the last five completed calendar quarters before the start date of the application you filed. DES will use the wages you earned in the first four or the last four of those five quarters, depending on the details of your application, to decide how much money you can get each week.

Your base period employer is any employer who paid unemployment insurance taxes for you during your base period. If the employers reported how much you made to DES and paid unemployment insurance taxes, then the information they reported will be used to decide how much you may get in unemployment benefits.

A 52-week period starting once you 1) file an unemployment claim with DES and 2) register to look for a job with NCWorks.gov. You need to do both to start your claim.

If you're still on your employer’s payroll, your benefit year will start on the Sunday before your payroll week ends.

An employer-filed claim is when your employer files an unemployment claim for you. They may do this because you have been temporarily laid off and they intend to bring you back to work.

An issue is something that could affect your eligibility or qualification for unemployment benefits based on North Carolina Employment Security law. Common issues include:

• DES gets information that your job ended for reasons other than lack of work.
• You got separation pay.
• Anything that may keep you from working.

If there is an issue with your claim, DES will reach out to you or your employer with questions as needed. Your benefit payments may be paused until the issue is resolved. After DES reviews the new information, there are three possible outcomes:

1. The issue stops you from getting some or all unemployment benefits.
2. The issue doesn’t stop you from getting unemployment benefits.
3. The issue was an error, and DES will remove it from your claim.

If DES places an issue on your unemployment claim, you should keep filing your weekly certifications and keep looking for a job while making a record of your work search activities (if you have not returned to work).

Your earning allowance is the amount of money you can make while on unemployment benefits without reducing how much money you get for each week. If you make more than this amount, DES will subtract the extra money directly from your unemployment benefits. Always let DES know how much you earned during the week when you claim unemployment benefits.

Example: Your earning allowance has been set at $70 a week. You made $80 last week from an odd job. This means DES will take out $10 from that week’s benefit payment.

$80 wages - $70 earning allowance = $10 taken from your weekly benefit amount.

When you file a new claim, your last employer is the most recent job where you worked full-time for at least 30 days. This does not include self-employment. Self-employment means you worked as a 1099 independent contractor, did freelance work, or owned your own business.

If you had both a part-time and a full-time job, and your full-time job ended, the full-time employer is considered your last employer. If you still have your part-time job while you file for unemployment, you must report your earnings for each week you perform work in your weekly certifications.

To be monetarily eligible to get unemployment benefits, you must have earned enough wages. This is one requirement to get unemployment benefits (see What requirements do I need to meet to get unemployment benefits? for all requirements). You will get a determination notice in the mail that explains if you are monetarily eligible to get benefits.

Remember: You must have filed an unemployment claim and met all requirements to possibly get unemployment benefits.

DES decides if you meet requirements for unemployment benefits based on reasons other than money made during your base period, like quitting or refusing a job (see What requirements do I need to meet to get unemployment benefits? for all requirements). DES will send you this determination notice that shows nonmonetary-related reasons both by mail and in your MyNCUIBenefits account.

If you quit a job, were fired, refuse referral to a job, refuse a job, refuse to enter a Division of Workforce Solutions (DWS)-approved training, or fail to complete DWS-approved training, you may be disqualified.

You or your employer can appeal a nonmonetary determination.

Separation payment is any money you got or will get from your employer due to your job ending. Separation pay can include:

• Wages in lieu of notice:
  • Money you may get from your employer because they didn’t give you enough notice before ending your job.
• Severance pay:
  • Money your employer may give you because your job ended.
• Vacation pay or paid time off (PTO):
  • Money paid to you for any unused leave. If your employer has a written policy on vacation/PTO/sick pay, that pay may not affect your claim.

North Carolina law requires you to serve an unpaid waiting week before you can be paid unemployment benefits. The first week you are eligible for unemployment benefits is your unpaid waiting week. Even though you are not paid for this week, you must still complete your weekly certification.

A decision from DES that lists your wages from each employer in the base period and shows:

• If you meet the requirements to be monetarily eligible for unemployment benefits.
• How much you may get in unemployment benefits.
• How much money you can get each week if you qualify.
• How long you can get unemployment benefits.

The money your employer pays you, either in cash or other forms, for the work you do.

Yes. You must pay state and federal taxes on any unemployment payments you get. If you get unemployment payments, DES will provide you with a 1099-G tax form the next January. When you apply, you can choose if you want to withhold a percentage of your weekly benefits for federal or state taxes.

Yes, if you request that DES withhold state and federal taxes from your unemployment benefits. You can make this request when you file your claim or through your MyNCUIBenefits account.

Yes. You can change your tax withholding option through your MyNCUIBenefits account or by completing the Request to Change Income Tax Withholding/Direct Deposit (Form NCUI 500TWC).

No. DES immediately sends tax withholdings to the North Carolina Department of Revenue and/or the Internal Revenue Service when the unemployment payment is issued.

You will get a year-end statement called a Form 1099-G for the last year by January 31 of the current year.

No, there is a line to report repayment of overpayments on your federal tax return form (this is a different form). You should report the amount you repaid on the tax return you submit for the year that you made the repayment.

You may download a copy of your current IRS Form 1099-G through your MyNCUIBenefits account at no charge. 1099-Gs for years from 2018 forward are available through your online account.

Written requests for a hard copy (at no cost) of your 1099-G Form from 2018 to present may be:

• Faxed to 919-341-5773
• Emailed to des.ui.claims.1099@commerce.nc.gov
• Mailed to:
  • Division of Employment Security
    Attn: Intrastate Claims Unit
    P.O. Box 25903
    Raleigh, NC 27611-5903

The written request must include the individual’s:

• Complete name
• Complete address
• Phone number
• Last four digits of Social Security number or Claimant ID
• Date of birth
• Year of the 1099-G being requested

Once received, requests are typically processed within 48 hours.

Requests for 1099-Gs for 2017 or years prior may be submitted to the Legal Services Section using the Request for Release of Information Form. The fee is $15.00.

You do not get to choose if someone’s claim for unemployment benefits comes from your account. N.C. Division of Employment Security (DES) determines which employer’s account should be charged according to Employment Security Law. DES looks at all employers within the claimant’s base period and a claimant’s last employment to decide who will pay unemployment benefits for that claimant.

If you are a base period employer, your account can be legally responsible for some of the charges resulting from a claim for unemployment benefits. You will be mailed a “Notice of Initial Claim and Potential Charges to Your Account” (Form NCUI 551) giving notice of the claim and your potential responsibility. Once charges are assessed, based on your employer’s account privileges, you may be allowed to protest for relief of those charges.