How to File for Unemployment in Missouri
How to apply for unemployment in Missouri, what you need, and what you must do each week to keep getting benefits.
Short answer: File your claim online through UInteract or by calling your Regional Claims Center (claimant contact 800-320-2519). Missouri DES, Help Topics for Unemployed Workers
| How to apply | File your claim online through UInteract or by calling your Regional Claims Center (claimant contact 800-320-2519). Then file a weekly request for payment every week in UInteract, as early as the Sunday after the week ends, reporting all gross earnings and any vacation or holiday pay. If eligible, payments usually start within 22 days of filing. |
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| Earnings needed to qualify | The base period is the first four of the last five completed calendar quarters. You must have earned at least $2,250 from insured employers in the base period, with at least $1,500 in one quarter and total base period wages of at least 1.5 times your highest quarter; or at least $19,500 in two of the four base period quarters. |
| Work search requirements | Complete at least three work search activities each week unless directed otherwise, and record them in case DES asks. Union members with a hiring or referral hall can meet the requirement by contacting the hall. Visit jobs.mo.gov or a Missouri Job Center, and report in person for reemployment services if you are notified. |
| Logging in and filing weekly claims | Missouri unemployment claims are filed and managed in UInteract, the Missouri Department of Labor and Industrial Relations' online claimant system (the "File or Manage Unemployment Claim" link); you can also change your payment method there. Regional Claims Centers: Jefferson City 573-751-9040, Kansas City 816-889-3101, St. Louis 314-340-4950, Springfield 417-895-6851; outside these calling areas 800-320-2519. UInteract login: https://uinteract.labor.mo.gov/benefits/ |
Where to get help in Missouri
More Missouri unemployment benefits
- Logging In to Your Missouri Unemployment Claim
- Unemployment for Self-Employed and Gig Workers in Missouri
- Unemployment After Being Fired in Missouri
- Unemployment After Quitting in Missouri
- How Much Unemployment Pays in Missouri
- All Missouri unemployment benefits rules
FAQ
How do I apply for unemployment in Missouri?
File your claim online through UInteract or by calling your Regional Claims Center (claimant contact 800-320-2519). Then file a weekly request for payment every week in UInteract, as early as the Sunday after the week ends, reporting all gross earnings and any vacation or holiday pay. If eligible, payments usually start within 22 days of filing.
How much do you need to have earned to get unemployment in Missouri?
The base period is the first four of the last five completed calendar quarters. You must have earned at least $2,250 from insured employers in the base period, with at least $1,500 in one quarter and total base period wages of at least 1.5 times your highest quarter; or at least $19,500 in two of the four base period quarters.
What are the work search requirements for unemployment in Missouri?
Complete at least three work search activities each week unless directed otherwise, and record them in case DES asks. Union members with a hiring or referral hall can meet the requirement by contacting the hall. Visit jobs.mo.gov or a Missouri Job Center, and report in person for reemployment services if you are notified.
Where do I log in to my unemployment claim in Missouri?
Missouri unemployment claims are filed and managed in UInteract, the Missouri Department of Labor and Industrial Relations' online claimant system (the "File or Manage Unemployment Claim" link); you can also change your payment method there. Regional Claims Centers: Jefferson City 573-751-9040, Kansas City 816-889-3101, St. Louis 314-340-4950, Springfield 417-895-6851; outside these calling areas 800-320-2519.
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.