I was just laid off last week. I read on the NC ESC's website that I can claim unemployment wages if I am enrolled in and attending an institution of higher learning and that I could keep filing each week that I am enrolled. Is this correct?

It turns out I will be going back to college this May for my MBA (Masters of Business Administration). Could I possibly get unemployment benefits for the entire 2 years of study? (And if so, does the 2 interviews per week rule not apply since I'm in school?)

The original plan was to work my full-time job (the one I just got laid off from) while attending school, but now that it's not an option, I'm curious to know if I can get unemployment benefits for the full two years. I'm not excited about living off half my salary from my old job, plus having to pay for school, but I may not have any other options. The job market is awful where I live... I'd actually make more money on unemployment than I'd make at most of the jobs around here.

Does anyone know more about this? I'm hoping to get down to the unemployment office early in the week...

Thanks!

http://www.ncesc.com/individual/UI/UiClaims2.asp

However, you cannot get UI benefits for 2 straight years. The max is 26 weeks on a single claim. The state isn't going to pay you to finish your education. You still need to be ready, able, and willing to work, even if it is part-time.

Thanks for your reply.

I have a few more questions for you:

1. Do you know how the period of time covered by severance is determined? Is it based on your base salary, or does it take into consideration your average commission per month in the job you just got laid off from? Say, for example, your severance pay is $10,000. If you made $45,000 base salary at your job, plus up to $1000 additional in commissions each month (or up to $12,000 annually). If, for the most part, you met your commissions each month, would the period of time covered by your severance pay be based on the $45K base salary or $57K, where the $57K is actually a better reflection of how much you really made? If it were based on $45K, then the period of time covered by severance pay would be 2.67 months. If it were based on $57K, then the time covered by severance pay would be a few weeks less.

2. I do qualify for unemployment benefits when the time period covered by severance pay ends. As it turns out, this is right around the time grad school begins. Now that I know unemployment won't cover me for the entire 2 years of grad school, I will be searching for a new job when grad school starts, but, as a student, will I still be required to prove that I've gone to 2 job interviews per week while attending graduate-level classes? I will certainly be applying for jobs all the time, but it's not easy to get an interview in the area where I live. In fact, there aren't many jobs around here at all : (

3. Is the amount of unemployment pay I am eligible for based on half of my base salary, or half of my actual earnings from last year (which include monthly commissions)?

Thanks in advance for your response!

I did not deal with UI as an employer when I had employees in NC. Your questions are very specific. However, the calculation of your "severance pay" is up to the employer.

Regarding interviews, unless NC is an anomaly you don't HAVE to interview personally. You just have to be able to show that you have contacted employers about a job. This could be as little as forwarding a resume in response to a posting on the Internet or calling a company to see if they have any openings.

The amount is based on your benefit year which, at this point would be October 1, 2006 through September 30, 2007.
https://www.ncesc.com/individual/EstimateBenefits/ESTBenefitsMain.asp

https://www.ncesc.com/individual/webInitialClaims/applyBegin.asp

I believe the answer to this question is "yes", but I just want to make sure:

Is it okay if I skip a week of filing for unemployment benefits here and there? If I skip a week, can I pick right back up the following week?

If I do skip a week (due to being on vacation), will I have to forfeit that week or can I pick it back up later on?

Thanks,
Anna

My understanding is that you have XX weeks of available benefits. If you are not available for work in a particular full week, you aren't eligible for that week. Whether or not you should file anyway (as unavailable) or just not file at all, I'm not sure what the state would prefer.