North Carolina Unemployment Insurance

North Carolina Unemployment Insurance (UI) is a state-operated insurance program designed to partially compensate you for loss of wages when you are out of work due to layoffs or retrenchment.

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.

North Carolina requires wages in at least two quarters of the base period, which is the first four of the last five completed calendar quarters before filing.

How much do I get in unemployment in North Carolina?

According to the North Carolina Division of Employment Security, the most you can receive in state unemployment benefits is $350 a week for up to 12 weeks, which is among the shortest in the nation. The duration ranges from 12 to 20 weeks, depending on the state unemployment rate.¹

After regular benefits are exhausted, Extended Benefits (EB) may provide an additional 13 weeks during high unemployment periods.

How many weeks of unemployment benefits does North Carolina offer?

North Carolina 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 a weekly unemployment claim in NC?

The fastest and most efficient way to file a new or weekly claim is to file online through MyNCUIBenefits . If you don’t have access to an internet, you may file over the phone by calling (888) 737-0259.

As a condition of eligibility, those who file for a new claim are required by the state law to register for work at NCWorks Online . Failure to do so will result in a denial of benefit payments.

North Carolina Division of Employment Security
UI Support Center
(888) 737-0259