Montana Unemployment Benefit Eligibility Requirements

To be eligible for unemployment benefits in Montana, you must meet the following requirements:

  • Unemployed: You must be totally or partially unemployed. This means that you must have lost your job through no fault of your own, and you are either unable to work at all or are working less than full-time.
  • Worked in Montana: You must have worked in Montana during the past 12 months and have earned at least $1,500 in wages during that period. This means that you must have been paid for your services as an employee, not as an independent contractor.
  • Base period wages: You must have earned at least $3,000 in wages during your base period. Your base period is the first four of the last five completed calendar quarters prior to the effective date of your claim.
  • Job separation: You must have lost your job through no fault of your own. This means that you must have been laid off, discharged for reasons other than misconduct, or had your hours reduced.
  • Able and available to work: You must be able to work, available to work, and actively seeking work. This means that you must be able to perform your previous job or a similar job, you must be available to work full-time, and you must be making an active effort to find a new job.
  • Timely claim: You must file a claim for benefits within seven days of your last day of work. You can file your claim online, by phone, or in person at any Montana Department of Labor and Industry (DOLI) office.
  • Weekly claims: You must continue to file weekly claims for benefits as long as you are unemployed and eligible. You can file your weekly claims online, by phone, or in person at any DOLI office.
  • Suitable work: You must be willing to accept suitable work. Suitable work is generally considered to be work that is similar to your previous job, pays a comparable wage, and is located within a reasonable commuting distance.

If you meet all of the eligibility requirements, you will be able to collect unemployment benefits for a maximum of 26 weeks. The amount of your benefit will be based on your earnings in the base period. The minimum benefit amount is $50 per week, and the maximum benefit amount is $427 per week.

For more information on eligibility requirements, please visit the Montana Department of Labor and Industry website or call the Unemployment Insurance (UI) Hotline at (406) 444-2545.

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