In 2013, the North Carolina General Assembly drastically cut benefits for individuals who lost their jobs. Here are a few things you should know about the unemployment insurance benefit in North Carolina if you have recently become separated from your employer and are considering filing a claim for benefits:
Prerequisites
- File a claim for unemployment benefits
- Must have been paid a minimum amount of wages based on your individual situation preceding the filing of the claim
- Register for work
Eligibility
- You are not eligible if you left work for any reason other than good cause attributable to your employer, which means you cannot receive benefits if you:
- Voluntarily resigned or abandoned your position; or
- Were terminated for engaging in misconduct relating to your work
- Examples: Reporting to work impaired by alcohol or drugs; theft; making inappropriate comments; physical violence or threats at work; violation of written absenteeism policy; refusal to perform assigned tasks
Benefit Amount
- The MAXIMUM weekly gross benefit amount is $350.00, but the amount you receive will be based on the wages you have earned prior to becoming unemployed.
Benefit Duration
- The minimum and maximum duration of your benefits is tied to the unemployment rate in North Carolina. Currently, North Carolina’s rate of unemployment is 6.3%. The following schedule determines the benefit duration:
Seasonal Adjusted Minimum Number Maximum Number Unemployment Rate of Weeks of Weeks
Less than or equal to 5.5% 5 12
Greater than 5.5% up to 6% 6 13
Greater than 6% up to 6.5% 7 14
Greater than 6.5% up to 7% 8 15
Greater than 7% up to 7.5% 9 16
Greater than 7.5% up to 8% 10 17
Greater than 8% up to 8.5% 11 18
Greater than 8.5% up to 9% 12 19
Greater than 9% 13 20