West Virginia Unemployment Insurance

West Virginia Unemployment Insurance is a state-operated insurance program designed to partially compensate you for loss of wages when you are out of work through no fault of your own.

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.

According to WorkForce West Virginia, to be monetarily eligible for regular unemployment benefits in West Virginia, you must have earned

1. at least $2,200 in covered employment, and
2. have wages in more than one calendar quarter of your base period or alternative base period.¹

How much will I get from unemployment in West Virginia?

Depending on how much you have earned in your base period, you may receive up to $662 per week for a maximum of 26 weeks of unemployment benefits per year.

How long do unemployment benefits last in West Virginia?

A claimant in West Virginia may receive benefits for a maximum of 26 weeks. Payment continues only for the weeks in which the claimant remains eligible and certifies, as required, that they are able to work, available for work and searching for it.

How do I apply for unemployment in WV?

As soon as you’re unemployed, file your claim online through WorkForce West Virginia  or by phone at (800) 379-1032, or report in person to the nearest unemployment claims office.²