If you are laid off, you qualify for state unemployment benefits. How much you get depends on how much you made, and each state has its own limits.
According to Gerri Willis (CNN's personal finance editor), you can expect to receive about $293 a week for 46 weeks. States with high jobless rates (6% or more) offer unemployment benefits for 59 weeks.
You can file online if it's offered in your area. Wait times on phone can be long. It takes 2 to 3 weeks to receive your first benefit payment. To qualify for unemployment benefits, you have to be unemployed due to reasons beyond your control. You cannot collect if you decided to quit or if you were fired for misconduct. You also must have worked for a base period of time, which is usually 4 of the last 5 quarters of the year. Ms. Willis goes on to say that even if you have received a severance package, you may still be eligible....depends on the state.
For more information about filing for unemployment benefits, contact:
Georgia Department of Labor
http://www.dol.state.ga.us/
Gwinnett County Office
2211 Beaver Ruin Road. Suite 160
Norcross GA
Phone: 770-840-2200
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