You will be eligible for unemployment benefits only if you are unemployed through no fault of your own. If you lose your job for economic reasons (for example, because your company can’t meet payroll, has decided to close a plant, or has cut back on staffing), you will meet this eligibility requirement.
If you are fired, however, your eligibility will depend on why you lost your job. In most states, if you were fired because you fell short of expectations, failed to meet performance standards, or simply were not a good fit, you will still be eligible for benefits. However, if you were fired for serious misconduct — as your state defines it — you can’t collect benefits. Some states are more generous than others in this regard, but every state will disqualify someone who was fired for stealing from the employer, committing a crime related to the job, or otherwise acting intentionally against the employer’s interests.
Collecting Unemployment After Being Fired or Laid Off
Can I Get Unemployment If I Was Fired?
Learn how state agencies determine whether you are eligible for benefits after being fired.
Discriminatory Firing: Can I Collect Unemployment?
What if your employer says you were fired for misconduct, but you think it was discrimination?
Resources on Unemployment
Your Rights in the Workplace
The essential guide to all of your rights at work, including your rights if you lose your job.