New Jersey Unemployment Benefits: Who Qualifies, How Much, and How to Apply
New Jersey 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 New Jersey
- If you were fired
- If you were fired or suspended for misconduct, you are disqualified for the week of the firing or suspension and the next five weeks. New Jersey Division of Unemployment Insurance, Quit or fired
- Weekly benefit amount
- Your weekly benefit rate is 60% of your average weekly wage in the base year, up to a maximum tied to the state minimum wage. For 2026, the maximum weekly benefit rate is $905. New Jersey Division of Unemployment Insurance, How we calculate benefits
- How many weeks
- Up to 26 weeks. Your maximum benefit amount equals the number of weeks you worked in the base year (up to 26) times your weekly benefit rate. For 2026, the most anyone can receive in a benefit year is $23,530 ($905 x 26). New Jersey Division of Unemployment Insurance, How we calculate benefits
- How to apply
- Create an online account and file a claim at myunemployment.nj.gov, or apply by phone. You can file once you are unemployed or your hours are reduced, not before. New Jersey Division of Unemployment Insurance, How to apply; General FAQs
Last verified: 2026-10-27
Who qualifies
| If you were fired | If you were fired or suspended for misconduct, you are disqualified for the week of the firing or suspension and the next five weeks. If the firing was for gross misconduct (conduct serious enough to be a first-, second-, third- or fourth-degree crime), the disqualification is indefinite: to remove it, you must work in covered employment for at least eight weeks, earn at least 10 times your weekly benefit rate, and then lose that job through no fault of your own; wages from the employer that fired you cannot be used. An exception may apply if the separation was related to domestic violence. |
|---|---|
| If you quit | If you quit, you must prove good cause connected with the work: a job-related reason so compelling that you had no choice but to leave, such as intolerable unsafe or unhealthful working conditions. Personal reasons, such as moving, do not qualify. Leaving for better pay or more hours may qualify in some circumstances, and leaving because of domestic violence or a military spouse's or partner's out-of-state transfer can still allow benefits with proof. Otherwise you must work in covered employment for at least eight weeks, earn at least 10 times your weekly benefit rate, and then become unemployed through no fault of your own. |
| Layoffs and reduced hours | Benefits are for people who lose their job through no fault of their own. If your hours were reduced but not completely cut, you may collect partial benefits, as long as you do not work more than 80% of your normal hours (for example, more than 32 hours in a normal 40-hour week). |
| Earnings needed to qualify | For claims in 2026, you must have earned at least $310 a week (a base week) in 20 or more weeks of covered employment during the base year, or at least $15,500 in total covered employment during the base year. Alternate base years may be used if you do not qualify under the standard base year. |
| Self-employed, 1099 and gig workers | Independent contractors are not traditionally entitled to unemployment benefits, but if you believe you were misclassified, you can apply. The Department reviews each case, and if you are found to be an employee under New Jersey's ABC test, you could receive benefits. Getting a 1099 instead of a W-2, signing an independent contractor agreement, or being required to form an LLC does not by itself make you an independent contractor; the employer must show all parts of the ABC test are met. Misclassification complaints can be filed with the New Jersey Department of Labor, and workers are protected from retaliation for complaining. |
How much and how long
| Weekly benefit amount | Your weekly benefit rate is 60% of your average weekly wage in the base year, up to a maximum tied to the state minimum wage. For 2026, the maximum weekly benefit rate is $905. Dependency benefits may be added if your rate is below the maximum. The 2025 maximum was $875; the maximum is updated each calendar year. |
|---|---|
| How many weeks | Up to 26 weeks. Your maximum benefit amount equals the number of weeks you worked in the base year (up to 26) times your weekly benefit rate. For 2026, the most anyone can receive in a benefit year is $23,530 ($905 x 26). Benefits stop one year after the date of your claim. |
| Working part-time on benefits | Earnings up to 20% of your weekly benefit rate do not reduce your benefit. Your partial weekly benefit rate is your weekly benefit rate plus 20%, minus your gross earnings, and never more than your weekly benefit rate. For example, with a $500 rate and $200 in earnings, you receive $400 ($600 - $200). |
| Severance and vacation pay | File right away even if you are receiving severance pay: severance based on years of service does not extend your employment, but salary continuation and pay in lieu of notice do. A pension from a base year employer reduces your benefit by 100% of the weekly pension amount if the employer paid for all of it, by 50% if you both contributed, and not at all if you paid for all of it. Social Security does not reduce benefits. |
Applying and keeping benefits
| How to apply | Create an online account and file a claim at myunemployment.nj.gov, or apply by phone. You can file once you are unemployed or your hours are reduced, not before. Verify your identity, then certify for benefits each week and actively look for work. |
|---|---|
| Work search requirements | You must make an effort to find work for each week you claim and show proof of your job search. Contacting employers each week by phone, mail, internet or in person is considered a reasonable effort. You may be asked for your work search contacts at any time during your claim, and you must keep scheduled appointments. Refusing a suitable job can disqualify you for that week and the next three weeks. The agency does not state a fixed number of weekly contacts. |
| Appealing a denial | A determination becomes final unless a written appeal is filed within 21 calendar days after it is mailed (a deadline on a weekend or holiday moves to the next business day). Appeal online or by letter to the New Jersey Department of Labor Appeal Tribunal, PO Box 907, with your name, Social Security number, phone, address and reasons. Keep certifying weekly while you wait for the hearing. |
| Logging in and filing weekly claims | New Jersey unemployment claims are managed through the Division of Unemployment Insurance's My Unemployment site: sign in to your account to check claim status, update your information, respond to information requests on your dashboard and complete identity verification. You must certify each week that you are still eligible in order to be paid, using the weekly benefits certification link. Accounts not signed in to within the past year are deleted for inactivity, and you must create a new one. Sign in: https://unemployment.nj.gov/; weekly certification: https://wpay.state.nj.us/DOL_W247/DOL_W247/Cont.jsp |
Where to get help in New Jersey
Unemployment Benefits FAQ
Can you get unemployment if you were fired in New Jersey?
If you were fired or suspended for misconduct, you are disqualified for the week of the firing or suspension and the next five weeks. If the firing was for gross misconduct (conduct serious enough to be a first-, second-, third- or fourth-degree crime), the disqualification is indefinite: to remove it, you must work in covered employment for at least eight weeks, earn at least 10 times your weekly benefit rate, and then lose that job through no fault of your own; wages from the employer that fired you cannot be used. An exception may apply if the separation was related to domestic violence.
Can you get unemployment if you quit in New Jersey?
If you quit, you must prove good cause connected with the work: a job-related reason so compelling that you had no choice but to leave, such as intolerable unsafe or unhealthful working conditions. Personal reasons, such as moving, do not qualify. Leaving for better pay or more hours may qualify in some circumstances, and leaving because of domestic violence or a military spouse's or partner's out-of-state transfer can still allow benefits with proof. Otherwise you must work in covered employment for at least eight weeks, earn at least 10 times your weekly benefit rate, and then become unemployed through no fault of your own.
Can you get unemployment if your hours were cut in New Jersey?
Benefits are for people who lose their job through no fault of their own. If your hours were reduced but not completely cut, you may collect partial benefits, as long as you do not work more than 80% of your normal hours (for example, more than 32 hours in a normal 40-hour week).
How much do you need to have earned to get unemployment in New Jersey?
For claims in 2026, you must have earned at least $310 a week (a base week) in 20 or more weeks of covered employment during the base year, or at least $15,500 in total covered employment during the base year. Alternate base years may be used if you do not qualify under the standard base year.
How much is unemployment in New Jersey?
Your weekly benefit rate is 60% of your average weekly wage in the base year, up to a maximum tied to the state minimum wage. For 2026, the maximum weekly benefit rate is $905. Dependency benefits may be added if your rate is below the maximum.
How long can you get unemployment in New Jersey?
Up to 26 weeks. Your maximum benefit amount equals the number of weeks you worked in the base year (up to 26) times your weekly benefit rate. For 2026, the most anyone can receive in a benefit year is $23,530 ($905 x 26). Benefits stop one year after the date of your claim.
What are the work search requirements for unemployment in New Jersey?
You must make an effort to find work for each week you claim and show proof of your job search. Contacting employers each week by phone, mail, internet or in person is considered a reasonable effort. You may be asked for your work search contacts at any time during your claim, and you must keep scheduled appointments. Refusing a suitable job can disqualify you for that week and the next three weeks.
Does severance pay affect unemployment in New Jersey?
File right away even if you are receiving severance pay: severance based on years of service does not extend your employment, but salary continuation and pay in lieu of notice do. A pension from a base year employer reduces your benefit by 100% of the weekly pension amount if the employer paid for all of it, by 50% if you both contributed, and not at all if you paid for all of it. Social Security does not reduce benefits.
How do I apply for unemployment in New Jersey?
Create an online account and file a claim at myunemployment.nj.gov, or apply by phone. You can file once you are unemployed or your hours are reduced, not before. Verify your identity, then certify for benefits each week and actively look for work.
How do I appeal an unemployment denial in New Jersey?
A determination becomes final unless a written appeal is filed within 21 calendar days after it is mailed (a deadline on a weekend or holiday moves to the next business day). Appeal online or by letter to the New Jersey Department of Labor Appeal Tribunal, PO Box 907, with your name, Social Security number, phone, address and reasons. Keep certifying weekly while you wait for the hearing.
Can you work part-time and collect unemployment in New Jersey?
Earnings up to 20% of your weekly benefit rate do not reduce your benefit. Your partial weekly benefit rate is your weekly benefit rate plus 20%, minus your gross earnings, and never more than your weekly benefit rate. For example, with a $500 rate and $200 in earnings, you receive $400 ($600 - $200).
Can self-employed or gig workers get unemployment in New Jersey?
Independent contractors are not traditionally entitled to unemployment benefits, but if you believe you were misclassified, you can apply. The Department reviews each case, and if you are found to be an employee under New Jersey's ABC test, you could receive benefits. Getting a 1099 instead of a W-2, signing an independent contractor agreement, or being required to form an LLC does not by itself make you an independent contractor; the employer must show all parts of the ABC test are met. Misclassification complaints can be filed with the New Jersey Department of Labor, and workers are protected from retaliation for complaining.
Where do I log in to my unemployment claim in New Jersey?
New Jersey unemployment claims are managed through the Division of Unemployment Insurance's My Unemployment site: sign in to your account to check claim status, update your information, respond to information requests on your dashboard and complete identity verification. You must certify each week that you are still eligible in order to be paid, using the weekly benefits certification link. Accounts not signed in to within the past year are deleted for inactivity, and you must create a new one.
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