Hawaii Unemployment Benefit Eligibility Requirements

To be eligible for Hawaii unemployment insurance benefits, you must meet the following requirements:

• Be unemployed through no fault of your own: This means that you must have lost your job through no fault of your own, such as being laid off or fired for reasons other than misconduct.
• Have worked in Hawaii during your base period: Your base period is the first four of the last five completed calendar quarters. You must have earned at least $26 times your weekly benefit amount in your base period.
• Be able to work and actively seeking work: You must be able to work and be actively seeking work each week that you claim benefits. This means that you must be registering for work with America’s Job Center of Hawaii and making at least three contacts with potential employers each week.
• Meet certain citizenship or alien status requirements: You must be a U.S. citizen or a qualified alien to be eligible for benefits.

If you meet all of the eligibility requirements, you can file a claim for unemployment insurance benefits online or by calling the Hawaii Unemployment Insurance Division at 1-877-623-PUA1 (1-877-623-7821).

Here are some additional things to keep in mind about Hawaii unemployment insurance benefits:

• The maximum weekly benefit amount is $365.
• The minimum weekly benefit amount is $68.
• You can receive benefits for up to 26 weeks in a benefit year.
• You may be required to repay benefits if you are found to be ineligible.

For more information about Hawaii unemployment insurance benefits, please visit the Hawaii Department of Labor and Industrial Relations website.