Louisiana Unemployment Benefits: Who Qualifies, How Much, and How to Apply
Louisiana unemployment: can you get benefits if fired or you quit, weekly benefit amounts, how many weeks, work search rules, how to apply and appeal.
Quick answers for Louisiana
- If you were fired
- You cannot get benefits if you were fired for misconduct, including illegal drug or alcohol use. Misconduct includes breaking work rules or poor job performance such as repeated tardiness, insubordination or knowingly breaking company policy. Louisiana Works, Unemployment Benefits Rights and Information (Rev. 08/2026)
- Weekly benefit amount
- Your weekly benefit amount depends on your base period wages and will be between $35 and $282 per week. Louisiana Works, Unemployment Benefits Rights and Information (Rev. 08/2026), Monetary Determination
- How many weeks
- For claims filed on or after January 5, 2025, total benefits equal 12 to 20 times your weekly benefit amount (12 to 20 weeks), based on the average of the three most recently published seasonally adjusted state unemployment rates. Louisiana Works, Frequently Asked Questions about Benefits; Unemployment Benefits Rights and Information (Rev. 08/2026)
- How to apply
- File online through HiRE at www.louisianaworks.net/HIRE or call 1-866-783-5567. Verify your identity before benefits can be paid. Louisiana Works, Unemployment Benefits Rights and Information (Rev. 08/2026)
Last verified: 2026-10-27
Who qualifies
| If you were fired | You cannot get benefits if you were fired for misconduct, including illegal drug or alcohol use. Misconduct includes breaking work rules or poor job performance such as repeated tardiness, insubordination or knowingly breaking company policy. If disqualified, you must earn wages equal to 10 times your weekly benefit amount before you can qualify again. For aggravated misconduct (serious acts such as theft, intentional damage or workplace violence), wages from that employer cannot be used for future benefits. |
|---|---|
| If you quit | You cannot get benefits if you quit your job without good reason. Louisiana Works gathers information from you and your employer and decides based on the law. If disqualified, you must earn wages equal to 10 times your weekly benefit amount before you can qualify again. The agency guide does not list specific situations that count as good cause. |
| Layoffs and reduced hours | Workers who are unemployed through no fault of their own, including those laid off or working reduced hours, may qualify. Keep filing weekly claims while unemployed or working reduced hours and report all earnings. Temporarily laid-off workers may be excused from work search; the agency will tell you if this applies. |
| Earnings needed to qualify | The base period is the first four of the last five completed calendar quarters. You need at least $1,200 in total base period wages from covered employers, and total wages of at least 1.5 times your highest-quarter wages. Self-employment does not count. |
| Self-employed, 1099 and gig workers | To qualify, you must have earned wages during your base period from employers who pay unemployment insurance taxes. Self-employment does not qualify. |
How much and how long
| Weekly benefit amount | Your weekly benefit amount depends on your base period wages and will be between $35 and $282 per week. The maximum is set each year under a schedule tied to the unemployment trust fund balance and was previously $275; the agency's claimant FAQ page still shows $275. |
|---|---|
| How many weeks | For claims filed on or after January 5, 2025, total benefits equal 12 to 20 times your weekly benefit amount (12 to 20 weeks), based on the average of the three most recently published seasonally adjusted state unemployment rates. Claims filed before that date kept a 26-week cap. Up to 8 more weeks of Additional Benefits may be available if benefits end while you are in approved training. |
| Waiting week | Yes. The first week after the effective date of a new claim is usually an unpaid waiting week. You must still file for it. If that week is not payable, the waiting week applies to the next week you qualify for payment. |
| Working part-time on benefits | Report all gross earnings for the week you worked, including tips, commissions and bonuses. You can earn up to 50% of your weekly benefit amount without a reduction; earnings above that are subtracted dollar for dollar. If you earn as much as or more than your weekly benefit amount, you are not paid for that week. |
| Severance and vacation pay | You must report any vacation pay, severance, pension, bonus or other payment from an employer. Louisiana law says you cannot get benefits for weeks you are receiving vacation pay, severance, a pension (not Social Security), workers' compensation or similar pay. The guide does not explain whether a pension reduces benefits in full or only in part. |
Applying and keeping benefits
| How to apply | File online through HiRE at www.louisianaworks.net/HIRE or call 1-866-783-5567. Verify your identity before benefits can be paid. File your first weekly claim the Sunday after you apply, then every week (Sunday through Saturday, by 11:59 p.m. CT Saturday) online or by phone, reporting work, earnings and work search. Allow at least 21 days after your first weekly certification for a decision. |
|---|---|
| Work search requirements | Claims filed on or after January 4, 2026 require at least five work search activities each week (three for claims first filed before that date), reported on each weekly claim. Activities include applying for jobs, interviews, registering with staffing agencies, reemployment services, job fairs and updating your resume. Keep a detailed record. Temporarily laid-off workers, union members and claimants in approved training may be exempt. You may be called to an American Job Center for a reemployment services appointment. |
| Appealing a denial | You have 15 days from the mail date of a determination to appeal; weekends, legal holidays and office closures are not counted. Appeal online in HiRE, or complete the "I Appeal" section and email ClerkAppeal@la.gov, fax 1-225-346-6077 or mail the Appeals Tribunal. Each determination must be appealed separately. Keep filing weekly claims while you wait for the hearing. |
| Logging in and filing weekly claims | Louisiana unemployment claims are managed in HiRE, the Louisiana Workforce Commission's self-service system. Log in with the same account you use for Louisiana's online job services to file weekly unemployment benefit requests, view recent payments and view claim activity. You can also file weekly benefits or ask about your claim by phone through the Easy Call System at 1-866-783-5567. HiRE login: https://www.louisianaworks.net/hire/ |
Where to get help in Louisiana
Unemployment Benefits FAQ
Can you get unemployment if you were fired in Louisiana?
You cannot get benefits if you were fired for misconduct, including illegal drug or alcohol use. Misconduct includes breaking work rules or poor job performance such as repeated tardiness, insubordination or knowingly breaking company policy. If disqualified, you must earn wages equal to 10 times your weekly benefit amount before you can qualify again. For aggravated misconduct (serious acts such as theft, intentional damage or workplace violence), wages from that employer cannot be used for future benefits.
Can you get unemployment if you quit in Louisiana?
You cannot get benefits if you quit your job without good reason. Louisiana Works gathers information from you and your employer and decides based on the law. If disqualified, you must earn wages equal to 10 times your weekly benefit amount before you can qualify again.
Can you get unemployment if your hours were cut in Louisiana?
Workers who are unemployed through no fault of their own, including those laid off or working reduced hours, may qualify. Keep filing weekly claims while unemployed or working reduced hours and report all earnings. Temporarily laid-off workers may be excused from work search; the agency will tell you if this applies.
How much do you need to have earned to get unemployment in Louisiana?
The base period is the first four of the last five completed calendar quarters. You need at least $1,200 in total base period wages from covered employers, and total wages of at least 1.5 times your highest-quarter wages. Self-employment does not count.
How much is unemployment in Louisiana?
Your weekly benefit amount depends on your base period wages and will be between $35 and $282 per week.
How long can you get unemployment in Louisiana?
For claims filed on or after January 5, 2025, total benefits equal 12 to 20 times your weekly benefit amount (12 to 20 weeks), based on the average of the three most recently published seasonally adjusted state unemployment rates. Claims filed before that date kept a 26-week cap. Up to 8 more weeks of Additional Benefits may be available if benefits end while you are in approved training.
Is there a waiting week for unemployment in Louisiana?
Yes. The first week after the effective date of a new claim is usually an unpaid waiting week. You must still file for it. If that week is not payable, the waiting week applies to the next week you qualify for payment.
What are the work search requirements for unemployment in Louisiana?
Claims filed on or after January 4, 2026 require at least five work search activities each week (three for claims first filed before that date), reported on each weekly claim. Activities include applying for jobs, interviews, registering with staffing agencies, reemployment services, job fairs and updating your resume. Keep a detailed record. Temporarily laid-off workers, union members and claimants in approved training may be exempt. You may be called to an American Job Center for a reemployment services appointment.
Does severance pay affect unemployment in Louisiana?
You must report any vacation pay, severance, pension, bonus or other payment from an employer. Louisiana law says you cannot get benefits for weeks you are receiving vacation pay, severance, a pension (not Social Security), workers' compensation or similar pay.
How do I apply for unemployment in Louisiana?
File online through HiRE at www.louisianaworks.net/HIRE or call 1-866-783-5567. Verify your identity before benefits can be paid. File your first weekly claim the Sunday after you apply, then every week (Sunday through Saturday, by 11:59 p.m. CT Saturday) online or by phone, reporting work, earnings and work search. Allow at least 21 days after your first weekly certification for a decision.
How do I appeal an unemployment denial in Louisiana?
You have 15 days from the mail date of a determination to appeal; weekends, legal holidays and office closures are not counted. Appeal online in HiRE, or complete the "I Appeal" section and email ClerkAppeal@la.gov, fax 1-225-346-6077 or mail the Appeals Tribunal. Each determination must be appealed separately. Keep filing weekly claims while you wait for the hearing.
Can you work part-time and collect unemployment in Louisiana?
Report all gross earnings for the week you worked, including tips, commissions and bonuses. You can earn up to 50% of your weekly benefit amount without a reduction; earnings above that are subtracted dollar for dollar. If you earn as much as or more than your weekly benefit amount, you are not paid for that week.
Can self-employed or gig workers get unemployment in Louisiana?
To qualify, you must have earned wages during your base period from employers who pay unemployment insurance taxes. Self-employment does not qualify.
Where do I log in to my unemployment claim in Louisiana?
Louisiana unemployment claims are managed in HiRE, the Louisiana Workforce Commission's self-service system. Log in with the same account you use for Louisiana's online job services to file weekly unemployment benefit requests, view recent payments and view claim activity. You can also file weekly benefits or ask about your claim by phone through the Easy Call System at 1-866-783-5567.
Unemployment Benefits in other states
More Louisiana law
- Louisiana tenant rights & landlord-tenant law
- Louisiana small claims court
- Louisiana wills, probate & estates
- Louisiana protective & restraining orders
- Louisiana employment law
- Louisiana debt & collections
- Louisiana divorce & family law
- Louisiana expungement & criminal records
- Louisiana traffic tickets & dui
- Louisiana personal injury & wrongful death
- Louisiana workers' compensation
- Louisiana foreclosure & homeowner law
- Louisiana consumer protection
- Louisiana starting an llc & small business
- Louisiana bankruptcy
- Louisiana car insurance & vehicle laws
- Louisiana criminal law
- Louisiana gun laws
- Find a lawyer or free legal help in Louisiana
- All Louisiana law guides
General legal information, not legal advice. Laws change and local rules can differ; check the linked official source or talk to a lawyer about your situation.