Learn About Michigan Unemployment Insurance Requirements
Find Michigan Unemployment Requirements Information
Unemployment insurance eligibility in Michigan is governed by specific regulations. Both initial MI eligibility for unemployment and eligibility after you have been accepted into the Michigan program are determined by these rules. The rules involve how you were separated from your work, your ability to work, your availability to work, your continued looking for work, and your willingness to accept a job for which you are reasonably qualified.
Who qualifies for unemployment and what are the requirements to get unemployment are answered in the following sections.
• Michigan separation from work
• Able to, available to, willing to, and looking for work in Michigan
• Eligibility for EDD Michigan monetary requirement
• Maintaining MI eligibility for unemployment after filing of claim
Find Michigan Unemployment Resources
How to Apply
Understanding Requirements
How to Claim Benefits
How Extensions Work
Find Out How to Appeal Denied Benefits
Understanding Michigan Separation from Work
The qualifications for unemployment in Michigan are first defined by how the applicant became separated from his or her job. If the applicant quit or was fired from the last employer, or in some cases other employers on the UI claim, Michigan Unemployment Insurance Agency (UIA) will procure information from the employers. The claimant might receive a request for information to determine his eligibility. The information from all involved sources will enable the agency to make a determination on the applicant’s UI status and he or she will receive that decision by mail.
Whar Does “Able to, Available to, Willing to, and Looking for Work” in Michigan mean?
For how to qualify for unemployment in Michigan, in addition to work separation requirements, the unemployment insurance petitioner must also be able to work each week they claim, be available for suitable full-time work, and must be actively seeking full-time work.
With MI unemployment insurance eligibility, if the claimant becomes totally disabled, he or she may be entitled to preserve or freeze unused benefits for use when able to work again, but remain unemployed. To accomplish this, the petitioner must submit a written request to the Agency within 90 days after the onset of his or her disability. If the candidate’s medical condition prevents him or her from submitting this request on time, they must submit a written request within 90 days after the period of inability to file has ended.
What Is the Monetary Requirement for EDD Michigan?
For candidates asking “What are the requirements to get unemployment in MI?” should know that when the former worker files a UI claim, he or she will receive a “Monetary Determination” which explains whether the applicant earned adequate wages to receive unemployment benefits. The claimant has the right to ask for a Redetermination if he or she disagrees with the Monetary Determination. This determination also reports the number of benefit weeks for which the applicant is entitled to receive benefits and the calculations involved to arrive at the weekly benefit amount on the claim.
For eligibility for EDD, the UIA looks at what is called the former worker’s “base period” (more fully explained on the Benefits page), which is the first four quarters of the last five completed quarters. For the applicant to have a claim, he or she: must have wages in at least two calendar quarters in the base period; in the calendar quarter where the claimant had the highest wages, his or her wages must be at least $3,298; and in the entire four quarters of the base period, he or she must have been paid at least 1.5 times the amount.
