Your weekly Georgia unemployment benefit amount is calculated by combining your wages from the two highest quarters in your base period and dividing that number by 42. Your weekly benefit amount is subject to a weekly minimum of $44 and a maximum of $330.
A good Georgia Unemployment Calculator will provide you with the amount you earn and for how many weeks you can expect to earn unemployment. To calculate your potential unemployment, you’ll need:
- The amount of money you earned in each of the last 5 quarters (3-month periods).
- How many dependents you have.
How Much Is Unemployment In Georgia?
Your benefit amount will be determined by the amount of wages in your base period, which is the first four completed quarters in the 15 months prior to your filing of a claim. However, if you do not meet insurance eligibility criteria for wages, then you can request that you be assessed for an alternate base period which is the last 12 months prior to filing for UI benefits.
How long you can collect unemployment insurance benefits is dependent on Georgia’s unemployment rate on the date you file your claim. Currently, applicants can expect to draw benefits between 14 and 20 weeks.
Once you file your claim, it is valid for 12 months, and this becomes known as your benefit year. At the end of 12 months’ time, you will need to re-file a new claim and meet unemployment insurance criteria all over again.
What You Need to Apply for Unemployment In Georgia
Whether you apply for Georgia unemployment online or in person, you will need the same information.
- Your Social Security Number (or Alien Number and expiration date).
- Government-issued identification.
- Your work history from the past 18 months.
- Your bank information (account number and routing number).
- Employer issued separation notice or letter.
- S-8 Form
- Most recent Tax Return.
Your work history should include the following information.
- Employers’ Name, Address, and Phone Number.
- The date that you started.
- The date that you ended work.
- Your rate of pay throughout the employment.
- Your total earnings for the 5 base periods.
- The official reason for your job separation.
Once you submit your unemployment claim, the Georgia Department of Labor will review it to make sure that it is completed correctly. If everything is properly filled out, then the next step for you is to enroll in the Georgia Department of Labor’s Employment Services.
One of the requirements to receive unemployment benefits is to actively be looking for employment. They will also require you to undergo weekly recertification to keep your unemployment benefits.
This recertification includes providing proof of your job search activities. It also verifies that you are completing all of the other requirements.
To file weekly claims, you will need to have your Personal Identification Number (issued when you file an initial claim) and your Social Security number.