Disclaimer: Thank you for visiting our informational page regarding Louisiana Unemployment Insurance Benefits. At this time, we are not accepting cases regarding unemployment insurance benefits. However, if you feel that you have any questions about other legal concerns that we may help you with (see our other Practice Areas), please call us.
Unemployment insurance is a state-run program to provide temporary financial relief to workers who are unemployed through no fault of their own. Former employees of eligible employers must meet certain requirements of the Louisiana Employment Security Law to file a claim.
Unemployment insurance benefits in Louisiana are paid to eligible workers as a legal right, not a matter of need. Qualifying applicants are entitled to their benefits while they seek to return to work up to the maximum designated benefit period (typically 26 weeks, subject to certain exceptions).
How do I Apply for Unemployment Insurance Benefits in Louisiana?
In order to apply for unemployment insurance benefits, you can report in person to the nearest job center. Bring proof of identification as well as the name and address of any employers you worked for during the past 12 months.
If you are a veteran who actively served in the past 18 months, you should bring a copy of your DD214. If you worked for the federal government in the past 18 months, bring your SF-8 and SF-10, if available. You can also file for benefits over the phone or apply online through the Louisiana Workforce Commission.
How do I Qualify for Unemployment Benefits in Louisiana?
Not everyone is eligible to collect unemployment insurance benefits in Louisiana. These three conditions must be satisfied to receive benefits:
- Past wages
- Reason for job separation
- Ongoing availability to work and attempts to find work
You must have worked for an employer with unemployment insurance during the last 12 months. You must be unemployed through no fault of your own, such as company-wide layoffs. You must be available to work, and actively looking for work.
How Much does Unemployment Pay?
Your benefits will be calculated based on your past wages, and subject to a maximum benefit. In Louisiana, you can expect to receive 4% of your average quarterly salary multiplied by 1.2075. The minimum weekly benefit amount is $10 and the maximum $247 a week.
How Long Can I Collect Unemployment Benefits?
Weekly unemployment benefits are available for up to 26 weeks per 12-month period. You will have to certify that you still qualify for unemployment insurance benefits in Louisiana through weekly reporting.
No one wants to become unwillingly unemployed. Should you find yourself without a job due to downsizing, layoffs, or termination without cause, it is important to know your rights. Pursue your unemployment benefits early.
Can I Receive Unemployment after a Car Accident if I Can’t Work?
Unfortunately, the requirements to claim unemployment benefits include your physical ability to work, your willingness to work, and your active search for employment. If you are injured in a car crash and physically cannot work, you are not eligible for employment benefits. A personal injury lawyer in New Orleans, LA can explain your options for compensation after a collision, including short-term disability and filing an auto insurance claim.
Unemployment Benefits and the COVID-19 Pandemic
2020 brought unprecedented challenges to families, schools, and corporations. Every business had a different response to COVID-19.
Unfortunately, many employers reacted to the COVID-19 business interruption by downsizing operations during the pandemic. Millions of Americans lost their jobs and remain unemployed in 2021. The federal government and several state governments responded by supplementing unemployment benefits.
The CARES Act
The CARES Act extended unemployment benefits for an additional 13 weeks and paid an extra $600 per week to anyone eligible to collect unemployment insurance benefits in Louisiana. This additional benefit expired on July 31, 2020.
Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA)
Pandemic Unemployment Assistance aids people who do not qualify for state-funded unemployment benefits. It provides a weekly benefit of $107 and $247.
Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation (PEUC)
Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation became available to people who exhausted their unemployment benefits and remain unemployed due to COVID-19. This benefit provides an added weekly benefit amount of $10 to $247.
The American Rescue Plan Act
This COVID-19 relief package added $300 per week to state unemployment benefits. The Mixed Earner Unemployment Compensation (MEUC) provision offered independent contractors or self-employed individuals who earned at least $5,000 in their most recent tax year an extra $100 per week.
The American Rescue Plan Act also extended PUA and PEUC benefits through September 6, 2021. Even though these benefits are all set to expire, they may be extended if unemployment rates remain high.
