Louisiana Unemployment Insurance

Effective January 2025, for claims filed on or after January 5, the length of benefits for new unemployment claims will be shortened from 26 weeks to between 12 and 20 weeks, depending on Louisiana’s unemployment rate when claims are filed. ¹

Each state sets its own guidelines for eligibility for UI benefits, but you usually qualify if you:

1. have lost a job through no fault of your own;
2. are unemployed or partially unemployed for reasons permissible under federal law;
3. are “able to work, available to work, and actively seeking work;” and
4. have earned at least a certain amount of money during a “base period” prior to becoming unemployed. In most states, this is usually the first 4 out of the last 5 completed calendar quarters prior to the time that your claim is filed.

Louisiana Unemployment Insurance (UI) provides temporary financial assistance to workers unemployed through no fault of their own. In Louisiana, receipt of benefits is limited to no more than 12 weeks.

Benefit amount may range from $35 to $282 per week, depending upon the total amount of wages paid to you during your past employment.

According to the Louisiana Workforce Commission, as a condition of eligibility, you must have earned a minimum amount of wages in a recent ‘base period’ and must have:²

1. wages in at least two quarters of the base period,
2. at least $1,200 in one quarter of the base period, and
3. total base-period wages of at least 1.5 times the wages earned in your highest paid quarter.

For example, if your highest paid quarter was $4,000, your total base-period wages must be at least $6,000 ($4,000 × 1.5), and your wages must be spread across at least two quarters.

How many weeks of unemployment benefits does Louisiana offer?

Louisiana provides up to 12 weeks of benefits, which is shorter than the 26 weeks available in many other states. Payments end once the maximum has been paid or the benefit year expires.

How do I file for unemployment online in Louisiana?

To file a claim for unemployment insurance, you may contact the LWC Claim Center at (866) 783-5567 or file online through HiRE , the enhanced self-service system for unemployment claim in Louisiana.

Louisiana Workforce Commission
HiRE Claim Center
(866) 783-5567