Tennessee Unemployment Insurance

Tennesseans who have lost their job or had their work time altered by Hurricane Helene are eligible to receive Disaster Unemployment Assistance. To apply, click here  or call (877) 813-0950 between 9 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. on weekdays.

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.

Tennessee Unemployment Insurance provides temporary jobless benefits to eligible workers who lost their job through no fault of their own.

According to the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development, in order to be eligible for unemployment benefits, you must have earned a minimum amount of wages in a recent ‘base period’ and must have:¹

1. earned at least $780 in each of two quarters during the base period, including your highest-paid quarter, AND
2. earned at least $900 in the second highest quarter OR wages equal to at least 6 times your Weekly Benefit Amount (WBA), AND
3. total base-period wages of at least 40 times your Weekly Benefit Amount (WBA).

If your calculated WBA is $200, your total base-period wages must be at least $8,000 (40 × $200), and your second-highest quarter wages must be $900 or more, or at least $1,200 (6 × $200).

How much unemployment benefits can I get in Tennessee?

Depending on how much you have earned in your base period, you may receive up to $325 per week for a maximum of 12 weeks of unemployment benefits per year, when the state average unemployment rate is at or below 5.5%.¹

How many weeks of unemployment benefits does Tennessee offer?

Tennessee 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 my weekly unemployment claim in Tennessee?

You can apply for UI benefits either online through the official Jobs4TN.gov  portal or by phone by calling one of the following phone numbers listed below:

If you are filing your weekly claim, you must answer a few certification questions online about the past week’s job search and earnings.