Virginia Unemployment Insurance Laws

Virginia requires claimants for unemployment meet eligibility requirements.

The Virginia Employment Commission administers the unemployment compensation program in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The program helps those who are out of work meet financial goals while looking for a new position. Unemployment compensation is a federal program, paid for by employers in each state. Claimants must meet the state requirements for collecting a weekly benefit check.

Base Period

The state uses the base period to determine eligibility for unemployment compensation and to determine the weekly benefit amount. In Virginia, the base period is the first four of the last five quarters before the claimant files with the state.

Eligibility

Claimants for unemployment compensation in Virginia must be available for new employment and able to work without any restrictions. Those seeking unemployment compensation must be unemployed due to a lack of work or other valid reason. The Virginia Employment Commission may disqualify a claimant for quitting a job without good cause or if the employer fires the individual for misconduct on the job. According to the Virginia Employment Commission, as of January 2011, claimants must have earned a minimum of $2,700 during two quarters in the base period.

Benefit Amounts

The maximum benefit for unemployment compensation is $378 in Virginia, as of January 2011. The amount and duration of unemployment benefits is calculated with the earnings during the base period. The maximum duration of benefits is 26 weeks. The state may extend benefits when the unemployment rate is high. Virginia uses the claimant's two highest paying quarters to determine the weekly benefit amount.

Finding New Employment

Claimants must register for work with Virginia Employment Commission Workforce Commission to qualify for weekly benefits. The initial registration must occur within five days of filing for benefits in the state. The state requires claimants to actively search for work each week while collecting benefits. Compensation recipients must keep records of employer contacts while collecting unemployment. The records should include the name of the employer, date of job contact, address of the employer, name of an individual contacted, telephone number for the employer, type of job and the result of the contact.

References

• Virginia Employment Commission: Unemployment Insurance Services
• Virginia General Assembly Legislative Information System: Total and Part -Total Unemployment
• Virginia Employment Commission: Unemployment Insurance Handbook for Claimants