What You Need to Know About Unemployment Benefits in California
This site provides clear, accurate information on collecting unemployment benefits in California, including:
- whether you are eligible for benefits
- how to apply for unemployment benefits in California
- how much you'll get (and how long your benefits will last)
- what you'll have to do to keep collecting benefits, and
- what to do if your application is denied.
Here are three key things to keep in mind as you get started:
1. You can apply for benefits -- and find helpful resources -- at the California Employment Development Department website.
Before you file for unemployment, you may want to learn more by reading our articles on benefit amounts, who qualifies for benefits, and so on.
Once you're ready to file, you can do it online.
Find detailed information and resources at the California Employment Development Department website, including:
- California's online portal where you can file your claim for benefits
- the Certify for Unemployment Insurance Benefits page, where you can learn how to file your weekly claims for benefits in California once your application is approved
- Requirement to Look for Work video, which explains the work search requirements you will have to meet in California in order to keep receiving benefits
- Unemployment Insurance: A Guide to Benefits and Employment Services, a detailed guide to collecting unemployment in California, and
- information about how and when to file an appeal in California if your application for benefits is denied.
2. Eligibility rules, benefit amounts, and duration differ from state to state.
Unemployment insurance works pretty much the same everywhere: Employers pay into a fund or purchase insurance, then former employees receive benefits when they lose their jobs. But the rules about who qualifies for unemployment, how long unemployment lasts, and especially how much you will receive in benefits vary a lot from state to state.
Our site covers every state and the District of Columbia; this page gives you information specific to California.
In California, the base period is the first four of the five complete calendar quarters immediately before you filed for benefits. For example, if you file for benefits on March 15, 2024, your base period will be from October 1, 2022 through September 30, 2023. It would not include the most recent complete calendar quarter before you filed (October 1, 2023 through December 31, 2023) or the first two-and-a-half months of 2024.
If you did not earn enough to qualify for benefits during the regular base period, you may be able to use an alternate base period that counts more recent earnings. California's alternate base period is the last four complete calendar quarters before you file for unemployment.
- For more, see:
3. You may be eligible for benefits even if you quit, you were fired for cause, or you are still working part-time.
Some people mistakenly believe that unemployment is available only to employees who are laid off. However, you don't have to lose your job in a layoff to qualify for benefits. The key question is whether you are out of work without fault on your part. So, if you were forced to quit your job in lieu of being fired, or you were fired because you don't have the necessary skills for your job, you could still be eligible for benefits.