Can I receive unemployment if I am a teacher or educational employee?

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Unemployment Benefits for Educators

If you are a current or former employee of a public or non-profit school or other educational institution, you may receive full or partial benefits under certain conditions and during certain time periods.

We will determine your eligibility using base-period wage credits from non-educational employers and educational employers not involved in disqualification. The first monetary determination received by educational employees will always reflect all base period wage credits before disqualification.

When wage credits from those educational employers involved in disqualification are removed from base period use, one of three things can occur:

  • There is no change to the weekly benefit rate because there are sufficient wage credits from other employers remaining in the base period, and the average of the two highest quarters of wages remains unchanged.
  • The weekly benefit rate is reduced because while there are still sufficient wage credits from other employers to establish monetary entitlement, the highest quarters of wages have changed as a result of the removal.
  • The weekly benefit rate is eliminated because there aren't enough wage credits remaining from other (non- disqualifying) employers to establish monetary entitlement. Whenever wage credits are removed because of such disqualification, a second monetary determination will be issued showing remaining wage credits and weekly benefit rates.

This type of disqualification is only in effect during certain periods of time: between school or academic years, between semesters, or during holidays, vacations, or recess periods. An unemployed educational employee could receive a lower benefit rate during disqualifying periods and the full rate during other periods. If you file for benefits during one of the periods listed above, you must report that you are an educational employee when you file the claim.

 

Eligibility