| Establishing Eligibility for Unemployment Compensation Benefits |
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| Definitions: |
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| How do I establish eligibility? |
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| There are two types of requirements. The first type of requirement is monetary (weeks and wages). The applicant must meet all of the following: |
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- Be unemployed at the time of filing
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| The second type of requirement is nonmonetary (unemployment must be through no fault of the applicant). |
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| What is covered employment? |
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| Under Ohio law, most employers are required to pay contributions for unemployment insurance. Work for such an employer is called "covered" employment. Work for a nonprofit or government agency is "covered" employment, even though the employer does not pay regular contributions, but instead pays back the cost of unemployment benefits paid to its former workers. |
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| What is a calendar quarter? |
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| 1st Quarter: |
January 1 through March 31 |
| 2nd Quarter: |
April 1 through June 30 |
| 3rd Quarter: |
July 1 through September 30 |
| 4th Quarter: |
October 1 through December 31 |
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| What is the base period? |
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| The regular base period is the first four of the last five completed calendar quarters, before your claim begins. |
| If your claim begins between these dates: |
Your base period will be: |
| January 1, 2012 thru March 31, 2012 |
October 1, 2010 thru September 30, 2011 |
| April 1, 2012 thru June 30, 2012 |
January 1, 2011 thru December 31, 2011 |
| July 1, 2012 thru October 6, 2012 |
April 1, 2011 thru March 31, 2012 |
| October 7, 2012 thru January 5, 2013 |
July 1, 2011 thru June 30, 2012 | |
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| Note: If you worked 20 weeks, but the weeks do not fall within the regular base period, or your average weekly wage was less than the established minimum within the regular base period, you may still be able to establish a right to benefits if the weeks fall within the alternate base period. The alternate base period is the last four completed calendar quarters before your claim begins. |
| If your claim begins between these dates: |
Your alternate base period will be: |
| January 1, 2012 thru March 31, 2012 |
January 1, 2011 thru December 31, 2011 |
| April 1, 2012 thru June 30, 2012 |
April 1, 2011 thru March 31, 2012 |
| July 1, 2012 thru October 6, 2012 |
July 1, 2011 thru June 30, 2012 |
| October 7, 2012 thru January 5, 2013 |
October 1, 2011 thru September 30, 2012 | |
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| Note: ODJFS will determine your weekly benefit amount, your total benefits, and the beginning date of your benefit year. However, if you had a previous claim established, you must have had six weeks of employment and earned three times the average weekly wage from your base period in work since that first application before you can establish another new claim. |