Program Description
Unemployment Insurance is an employer-paid insurance program that helps workers who are unemployed through no fault of their own. It provides temporary financial help to qualified individuals based on their previous earnings, while they are looking for other work. The Bureau of Unemployment Compensation (UC) Benefits is responsible for the development of policies and procedures for the statewide administration of the UC Benefits Program. Employer taxes and reimbursements support the Unemployment Trust Fund. Employers cannot deduct any money from employees' paychecks to pay for this program. The program has two main objectives:
- To provide temporary and partial wage replacement to involuntarily unemployed workers who were recently employed; and
- To help stabilize the economy during recessions.
General Program Requirements
In order to qualify for this benefit program, you must have worked in Ohio during the past 12 to 18 months and have earned at least a minimum amount of wages as determined by our guidelines. You must also be able, available and actively seeking work for each week that you are collecting benefits.
Your Next Steps
The following information will lead you to the next steps to apply for this program.
Application Process
To apply for UC Benefits, an unemployed worker can call toll-free 1-877-644-6562, between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday (except holidays).
For more information, access the telephone registration website at:
http://jfs.ohio.gov/ouc/telephoneregister.pdf
Program Contact Information