The base period is the length of time used both to determine your eligibility for unemployment benefits and to calculate the amount you will receive.
In West Virginia, 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 during the regular base period to qualify for benefits, you may be able to include more recent earnings. In West Virginia, you can use an alternate base period, which is the last four complete calendar quarters before you file for benefits.