North Carolina Unemployment Benefit Eligibility Requirements
To be eligible for unemployment benefits in North Carolina, you must meet the following requirements:
- You must be unemployed through no fault of your own. This means that you were not fired for misconduct, such as theft or violence, and you did not quit your job voluntarily without a good reason, such as to stay home to care for a sick family member.
- You must have earned enough wages in a job for which your employer paid unemployment insurance tax. In North Carolina, you must have earned at least $1,250 in base wages in the first four of the last five quarters.
- You must be physically able and available for work. This means that you must be able to work full-time and you must be willing to accept suitable work if it is offered to you.
- You must be actively seeking work. This means that you must be registered with NCWorks Online and you must be taking steps to find a new job, such as applying for jobs, networking with people, and attending job fairs.
If you meet all of these requirements, you can file a claim for unemployment benefits online at the North Carolina Division of Employment Security (DES) website.
Here are some additional things to keep in mind about unemployment eligibility in North Carolina:
- You may still be eligible for unemployment benefits if you are working part-time or if you are on a temporary layoff.
- You may also be eligible for unemployment benefits if you are self-employed or if you are a gig worker.
- If you are denied unemployment benefits, you have the right to appeal the decision.
For more information about unemployment benefits in North Carolina, please visit the DES website or call 1-888-737-0259.