Under normal circumstances, you qualify for unemployment benefits if you:
- lost your job through no fault of your own
- worked during the "base period" required by Rhode Island unemployment law before you lost your job
- earned enough in the base period to qualify for benefits, and
- worked for an employer required to pay into the Rhode Island Unemployment Trust Fund (most employers have to pay into the fund with only a few exceptions).
You may qualify for unemployment benefits even if you quit your last job, as long as you quit for a reason that is recognized as good cause to quit by the Rhode Island Department of Labor and Training.
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, some states have expanded their unemployment insurance programs to provide benefits to people affected by the outbreak. If your state has changed its rules in this way, you may be eligible for state benefits if you are out of work for reasons related to the coronavirus. The federal Pandemic Unemployment Assistance Program, which provided benefits for people who were themselves affected or whose family members were affected by COVID-19, ended as of September 6, 2021.
For more information about eligibility requirements, see Who is Eligible for Unemployment Benefits in Rhode Island?