COVID-19 and Unemployment Benefits FAQ

Get answers to common questions about new unemployment programs for those who have lost work due to COVID-19.

Millions of Americans have lost their jobs due to the coronavirus -- either directly from getting ill or indirectly because of the steps state and local governments are taking to try to control the spread of COVID-19, like closing businesses and schools. At the same time, the federal government has beefed up unemployment benefits, and many states have changed their rules to make benefits more widely available. 

Which leaves many with questions: Can you get benefits if you can't work because your child's school is closed? What if you are quarantined? Can gig workers get benefits? Is that extra $600 still available? And how long will your benefits last? Find out the answers to these questions and more by selecting your state from the list below. 

You may also be interested in:

• Am I Eligible for Unemployment Benefits?

  To qualify for unemployment benefits in State, you must meet a minimum earnings requirement and you must be unemployed through no fault of your own.

• How the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act Affects Unemployment Benefits

  The coronavirus stimulus bill expands eligibility and increases benefits for State workers.

• New Pandemic Unemployment Assistance: Unemployment Benefits for Contractors, Gig Workers, and Self-Employed Workers

  Find out whether you are eligible for new coronavirus unemployment benefits, and how much you will get in State.

About Lisa Guerin

Lisa Guerin has covered employment law topics for Legal Consumer since 2014. After getting her law degree from Berkeley Law, she worked in government, public interest, and private practice, specializing in employment law. She was a legal editor and author at Nolo for many years, where she wrote or contributed to more than a dozen books, mostly on employment issues. She volunteers with groups that help shelter and rescue dogs, and she enjoys hiking with her own Very Good Boy in the San Francisco Bay Area.