Having been "laid off" for the past several months, I have learned a thing or two about filing for Unemployment in United States.

If you are laid off you only have a short time in which to file your claim, and it can take a week or two (at minimum) to process. The sooner you file your claim, the sooner you can start to receive your benefits.

When doing large layoffs many employers will provide their workers with the necessary paperwork to sing up for Unemployment Insurance Benefits right at the work site. They may have someone there to answer your questions and to help you fill out the forms completely, to avoid any delays in the receipt of your Unemployment compensation.

If you employer does not provide you with this type of assistance, here are a few helpful tips:
Unemployment Insurance claims are now filed over the phone, or on the Internet, in the majority of states.
Your state Unemployment Office will have a web-site which you can refer to for help in filing your claim. To find this site, simply type "Unemployment Insurance (your state name here) into your search engine.

Whichever way you choose to file your claim, it can take a few weeks to process your first check. Try to save whatever money you have right now, so that it will last until you can start receiving your benefits.

Learn more about this author, Randa Morris.
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