Unemployment Insurance

Unemployment insurance is an insurance program that provides weekly assistance for a limited time if you lose your job for reasons that aren't your fault. It's meant to help you out until you find a new job. You may be eligible if you were laid off, had your work hours cut or worked in a seasonal or temporary position.

Program info

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How it works

Each year, your employer pays an unemployment insurance tax. This money goes into a trust fund that is used to cover unemployment claims. To qualify for your unemployment benefits, you typically need to have been employed for a certain period and have lost your job due to reasons beyond your control like layoffs, reduced work hours or your employer going out of business.
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Filing a claim

If you find yourself unemployed at no fault of your own, you can file a claim. This usually involves providing information about your employment history, income and the reason you lost your job. After reviewing your claim, Utah’s Unemployment Insurance Division will determine if you are eligible and the amount of your weekly claim. To continue receiving benefits, you are usually required to actively search for work and report your job search activity.

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Getting back to work

Our team is here to support you as you search for your next job. We may be able to connect you to the workshops, training and tools you need for your job search. We have job centers statewide where you can work with an employment counselor to polish your resume, practice interviewing and connect with possible job opportunities or training. Our online job board has over 35,000 open positions.

Job search resources

How do you get assistance?

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Step 1
Create a Utah ID or sign in to your account

 From jobs.utah.gov select ‘Sign in’ and ‘my Unemployment’ in the upper right corner.

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Step 2
File your initial claim

To file, you will need to provide the state with some personal information, employment history and answer a few eligibility questions.

The amount you receive in unemployment insurance is determined by how much you worked and earned during the 18 months before you file a claim. In general, unemployment benefits are paid to workers who:

  • Have qualifying wages
  • Are unemployed through no fault of their own
  • Are able and available to work full-time
  • Are actively seeking full-time work
File a claim
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Step 3
File weekly claims

To file your weekly claim visit jobs.utah.gov and select 'Sign in' then 'my Unemployment' and choose 'File Weekly Claim.' If you are eligible, you should start receiving your first payments in about three to four weeks after you apply. One aspect of maintaining your eligibility is to make contact with at least four employers each week you file a claim.

For help finding your next job, visit one of our job centers or search from more than 35,000 jobs posted on our website.

Find a job

Utahns draw unemployment benefits nearly three weeks less than the national average. Our program integrity and re-employment efforts help reduce the duration of benefits.

For Spanish, watch the video here.