Learn About Requirements for Unemployment in Arizona

Find Arizona Unemployment Requirements Information

Arizona eligibility for unemployment is predicated on meeting certain time and earnings conditions. Unemployment benefits are a form of government assistance to those that have lost their job through no fault of their own. Arizona Unemployment Insurance benefits replace your earnings while you are unemployed, and are paid through your former employer’s unemployment insurance tax.

Once approved, beneficiaries must continue seeking employment and file every week to sustain Arizona unemployment benefits. Other AZ qualifications for unemployment include keeping a record of your job search, and are discussed below. The unemployment program is a temporary assistance program lasting 29 weeks or less, depending on the unique circumstances.

Determining eligibility for unemployment benefits also depends on whether applicants have been laid-off. The amount of unemployment that you will receive is not determined by your needs, but rather by your gross income and how long you worked for your previous employer. On average, the amount of unemployment compensation you receive is four percent of your former weekly wages. What are the requirements to get unemployment in Arizona and who is eligible to receive unemployment benefits?

See below for relevant topics and details:

• Who qualifies for unemployment in Arizona?

• Arizona unemployment Requirements

Find Arizona Unemployment Resources

How to Apply

Understanding Requirements

How to Claim Benefits

How Extensions Work

Find Out How to Appeal Denied Benefits

Who qualifies for unemployment in Arizona?

“What are the requirements to get unemployment?” Applicants living in the United States who are mentally and physically capable of working are considered for unemployment benefits. Arizona offers multiple unemployment insurance programs that benefit a large amount of unemployment benefits recipients. Arizona Unemployment Insurance and other programs are paid out through the Employment Development Department (EDD). To know your eligibility for EDD payments, you need to be familiar with the many different benefits programs offered in Arizona. There are 11 separate unemployment insurance programs, each created to help a diverse group of applicants.

Arizona offers the following unemployment insurance programs:

• Unemployment Insurance (UI)

• Unemployment Insurance for Federal Employees

• Unemployment Insurance for Ex Military Employees

• Combined Wages

• Approved Training

• Shared Work

• Workers Compensation Claim

• Labor Dispute Claim

• Disaster Unemployment Assistance

• Trade Readjustment Allowance

• Extended Benefits

You may be eligible for EDD payments if you meet the specific criteria for any of these programs. Arizona unemployment insurance eligibility is negated if an aspirant was fired due to questionable work ethics or because he or she could not perform the job properly. Note that there is a difference between being laid-off and being fired. If you were let go without being replaced, you are considered laid-off. Conversely, if you were let go and the company is currently seeking a replacement for the last position you held, you are considered fired.

Former military personnel will be considered for the AZ unemployment program if he or she was discharged from the military due to injury or other circumstances. A copy of form DD-214 is required for the process. Familiarize yourself with the requirements in the section below.

Understanding Arizona Unemployment Requirements

You must meet certain unemployment requirements before you can become approved for unemployment benefits in Arizona. The requirements you must meet before you receive unemployment are:

You must have worked for an employer that paid unemployment tax. If they did not, you will not be able to receive any benefits.
You must be unemployed through no fault of your own.
You must be actively seeking new employment on a daily basis and accept full-time employment if it is offered to you.
You need to have made at least 390 times the minimum wage in your highest earning quarter.
You must be eligible to work in the United States
Any change in your status or address must be reported through the proper channels immediately.

As previously stated, beneficiaries need to maintain records of their job search, including details regarding who they contacted, the date and any other pertinent information. This should be submitted weekly when applying for continued benefits. Beneficiaries who knowingly falsify statements in an attempt to continue receiving AZ unemployment benefits are unlawfully committing fraud and will be disqualified. Furthermore, he or she will have to pay back all of the benefits received up to that point, and may face jail time, a large fine or both.

The trips or vacations you choose to take while being part of the unemployment program will not be covered unless they were an attempt to seek new employment. If you meet these requirements, consider applying for the unemployment program while you are actively seeking new employment.