Ohio Unemployment Insurance Questions

Jupiterimages/liquidlibrary/Getty Images

Unemployment insurance is a program that the federal government supports but state governments enact. Unemployment insurance protects employees who have recently lost their jobs by giving them compensation or helping them to find new jobs. The conditions of the unemployment insurance, how long it lasts and how it works will depend upon each state and its laws. The state of Ohio has its own unemployment department, which helps its citizens in situations of unemployment.

What is the Ohio Unemployment Insurance Program?

The Ohio unemployment insurance program is a state program that offers economical benefits--compensation--for qualifying Ohio workers who have lost their jobs. The Bureau of Unemployment Compensation administers the program by evaluating needs, enacting rules and distributing funds to unemployed workers.

To be considered a qualified worker under the Ohio unemployment insurance program, you need first to be considered a citizen of the state of Ohio. You must have been a part of the labor force for a long period, having only recently lost your job. You also must have lost your job involuntarily rather than quitting of your own accord. You must be able and available to work, and you must be actively seeking a new job.

As part of the requirements to be eligible for unemployment insurance in 2010, you must have an income of at least $11,076 per year (at least $213 per week). There is no limit other than this. If your income was very high, you still qualify for the benefit. However, earnings you have had on sources other than employment also count to determine your unemployment eligibility: if you are unemployed but you receive income from self-employment work, you are not eligible.

The benefit amount is based on your average weekly salary during the specified base period of employment and also on the number of allowable dependents. This amount, however, can not exceed the state maximum. As of 2010, recipients of unemployment insurance benefits who had no dependents can receive a weekly maximum up to $375; recipients with one or two dependents can receive a maximum up to $456; and those with three or more dependents can receive a maximum up to $508. The state frequently readjusts these benefit levels to account for inflation, and the federal government counts such benefits as taxable income.

These benefits normally last from 20 to 26 weeks, depending upon your economic situation and how soon you are likely to find employment. However, during periods of high unemployment rates inside the state or in the country, this period might change and last longer. Once you have applied and the state has approved you, your first check will take around two to three weeks to arrive. Count the 20 to 26 weeks from the week in which you receive your first check.

When you go to the unemployment office, you will need to present your social security number, your driver's license or state ID number, information on your previous (last six years) employers such as name, address, telephone number and the dates during which you were employed, your dependents' names, social security numbers and dates of birth, your spouse's name and social security number and your regular occupation and job skills. If you were serving with the U.S. armed forces within the past 18 months, you need to present your discharge papers (Form DD-214-member 4 copy). You also need to explain the reason why you became unemployed.