Oregon Unemployment Benefits: Who Qualifies, How Much, and How to Apply
Oregon 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 Oregon
- If you were fired
- If you were fired or suspended for misconduct, you may not receive benefits. If you were fired or suspended for a reason other than misconduct, you may still qualify. Oregon Employment Department, Unemployment Insurance Claimant Handbook (UIPUB350), "Qualifying for benefits"
- Weekly benefit amount
- Your weekly benefit is 1.25% of your total gross earnings in the base year, but no less than the state minimum and no more than the state maximum. The limits are updated each year. Oregon Employment Department, Weekly Benefit Amount page
- How many weeks
- You can receive up to 26 times your weekly benefit amount during your 52-week benefit year. Oregon Employment Department, Unemployment Insurance Claimant Handbook (UIPUB350)
- How to apply
- Apply online through Frances Online (frances.oregon.gov) or by phone at 1-877-345-3484. Starting the Sunday after you apply, file a weekly claim for each week you are unemployed or earning less than your weekly benefit amount. Oregon Employment Department, File a Claim page; Unemployment FAQ
Last verified: 2026-10-27
Who qualifies
| If you were fired | If you were fired or suspended for misconduct, you may not receive benefits. If you were fired or suspended for a reason other than misconduct, you may still qualify. The department decides each case on its facts and may ask both you and your employer for information. |
|---|---|
| If you quit | If you quit without good cause, you may not receive benefits. If you can show you left for good cause, you may qualify. Leaving because you or your child were a victim of domestic violence, stalking or sexual assault is one recognized reason. Quitting one job to take another still counts as voluntarily leaving. Each case is decided on its facts. |
| Layoffs and reduced hours | You may qualify if you were laid off or your hours were cut because your employer did not have enough work. If you are still working reduced hours, you may get partial benefits. Your employer can also request a Work Share plan, which pays partial benefits when hours are reduced for a group of workers instead of laying people off. |
| Earnings needed to qualify | In your base year, you must have worked at least 500 hours for a covered employer or earned at least $1,000. Your base year is usually the first four of the last five completed calendar quarters before the week you file. |
| Self-employed, 1099 and gig workers | If you are an independent contractor collecting benefits, you must actively seek work as an employee; you can still look for self-employment work if it does not interfere with your availability. Oregon says gig workers are typically employees of the business, not independent contractors. Oregon's Self-Employment Assistance (SEA) program, open only to people getting regular unemployment benefits, lets approved claimants keep business proceeds and receive their full weekly benefit while working full time on starting a business, with work search requirements waived. Self-employment earnings must be reported. |
How much and how long
| Weekly benefit amount | Your weekly benefit is 1.25% of your total gross earnings in the base year, but no less than the state minimum and no more than the state maximum. The limits are updated each year. As of June 28, 2026, the minimum weekly benefit is $211 and the maximum is $902. Maximum $902 per week, effective June 28, 2026. |
|---|---|
| How many weeks | You can receive up to 26 times your weekly benefit amount during your 52-week benefit year. |
| Waiting week | Yes. The first week you are eligible is an unpaid waiting week. You still have to file a weekly claim for it and meet all requirements, including the work search, to get credit for it. |
| Working part-time on benefits | You can earn up to one-third of your weekly benefit amount, or 10 times Oregon's highest minimum wage, whichever is greater, before your benefits are reduced. Above that, each dollar you earn reduces your benefit by a dollar. Report gross earnings for the week you earned them. |
| Severance and vacation pay | Retirement pay, other than Social Security, may reduce your weekly benefits and must be reported. Holiday and vacation pay must be reported in the week of the holiday or time off. Bonus pay may also affect benefits and should be reported to the UI Center. |
Applying and keeping benefits
| How to apply | Apply online through Frances Online (frances.oregon.gov) or by phone at 1-877-345-3484. Starting the Sunday after you apply, file a weekly claim for each week you are unemployed or earning less than your weekly benefit amount. File online or through the automated phone line. If you miss a week, you must restart your claim. |
|---|---|
| Work search requirements | Every week you claim, you must complete at least five work-search activities. At least two of them must be direct contact with employers. Activities that count include applying for jobs that fit your skills, interviewing, reporting to a union hiring hall if you are a member, and taking part in reemployment services. You must also complete any enrollment activities WorkSource Oregon requires. |
| Appealing a denial | Administrative decisions become final 20 calendar days after they are mailed. Monetary decisions, which cover your weekly benefit amount and the wages used, become final 10 calendar days after mailing. Appeal before the decision becomes final: through Frances Online ("View or Change Benefit Details" then "File an Appeal"), by phone at 503-947-3149, or by fax at 503-947-1335. The Office of Administrative Hearings holds the hearing. Keep filing weekly claims while you wait. |
| Logging in and filing weekly claims | The Oregon Employment Department's Frances Online is where you log in (email and password) to file your weekly unemployment claim: on the home screen, look for "Ready to File" for the week and select "File Now," then answer the questions, report your work search (most people need at least five activities a week, at least two of them direct employer contacts) and any earnings, and submit. You must file every week. An automated weekly claim phone line is available 24/7 at 800-982-8920 (TTY: 711). Login: frances.oregon.gov/claimant |
Where to get help in Oregon
Unemployment Benefits FAQ
Can you get unemployment if you were fired in Oregon?
If you were fired or suspended for misconduct, you may not receive benefits. If you were fired or suspended for a reason other than misconduct, you may still qualify. The department decides each case on its facts and may ask both you and your employer for information.
Can you get unemployment if you quit in Oregon?
If you quit without good cause, you may not receive benefits. If you can show you left for good cause, you may qualify. Leaving because you or your child were a victim of domestic violence, stalking or sexual assault is one recognized reason. Quitting one job to take another still counts as voluntarily leaving. Each case is decided on its facts.
Can you get unemployment if your hours were cut in Oregon?
You may qualify if you were laid off or your hours were cut because your employer did not have enough work. If you are still working reduced hours, you may get partial benefits. Your employer can also request a Work Share plan, which pays partial benefits when hours are reduced for a group of workers instead of laying people off.
How much do you need to have earned to get unemployment in Oregon?
In your base year, you must have worked at least 500 hours for a covered employer or earned at least $1,000. Your base year is usually the first four of the last five completed calendar quarters before the week you file.
How much is unemployment in Oregon?
Your weekly benefit is 1.25% of your total gross earnings in the base year, but no less than the state minimum and no more than the state maximum. The limits are updated each year. As of June 28, 2026, the minimum weekly benefit is $211 and the maximum is $902.
How long can you get unemployment in Oregon?
You can receive up to 26 times your weekly benefit amount during your 52-week benefit year.
Is there a waiting week for unemployment in Oregon?
Yes. The first week you are eligible is an unpaid waiting week. You still have to file a weekly claim for it and meet all requirements, including the work search, to get credit for it.
What are the work search requirements for unemployment in Oregon?
Every week you claim, you must complete at least five work-search activities. At least two of them must be direct contact with employers. Activities that count include applying for jobs that fit your skills, interviewing, reporting to a union hiring hall if you are a member, and taking part in reemployment services. You must also complete any enrollment activities WorkSource Oregon requires.
Does severance pay affect unemployment in Oregon?
Retirement pay, other than Social Security, may reduce your weekly benefits and must be reported. Holiday and vacation pay must be reported in the week of the holiday or time off. Bonus pay may also affect benefits and should be reported to the UI Center.
How do I apply for unemployment in Oregon?
Apply online through Frances Online (frances.oregon.gov) or by phone at 1-877-345-3484. Starting the Sunday after you apply, file a weekly claim for each week you are unemployed or earning less than your weekly benefit amount. File online or through the automated phone line. If you miss a week, you must restart your claim.
How do I appeal an unemployment denial in Oregon?
Administrative decisions become final 20 calendar days after they are mailed. Monetary decisions, which cover your weekly benefit amount and the wages used, become final 10 calendar days after mailing. Appeal before the decision becomes final: through Frances Online ("View or Change Benefit Details" then "File an Appeal"), by phone at 503-947-3149, or by fax at 503-947-1335. The Office of Administrative Hearings holds the hearing. Keep filing weekly claims while you wait.
Can you work part-time and collect unemployment in Oregon?
You can earn up to one-third of your weekly benefit amount, or 10 times Oregon's highest minimum wage, whichever is greater, before your benefits are reduced. Above that, each dollar you earn reduces your benefit by a dollar. Report gross earnings for the week you earned them.
Can self-employed or gig workers get unemployment in Oregon?
If you are an independent contractor collecting benefits, you must actively seek work as an employee; you can still look for self-employment work if it does not interfere with your availability. Oregon says gig workers are typically employees of the business, not independent contractors. Oregon's Self-Employment Assistance (SEA) program, open only to people getting regular unemployment benefits, lets approved claimants keep business proceeds and receive their full weekly benefit while working full time on starting a business, with work search requirements waived. Self-employment earnings must be reported.
Where do I log in to my unemployment claim in Oregon?
The Oregon Employment Department's Frances Online is where you log in (email and password) to file your weekly unemployment claim: on the home screen, look for "Ready to File" for the week and select "File Now," then answer the questions, report your work search (most people need at least five activities a week, at least two of them direct employer contacts) and any earnings, and submit. You must file every week. An automated weekly claim phone line is available 24/7 at 800-982-8920 (TTY: 711).
Unemployment Benefits in other states
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