Atlantic County Workforce Development Board

If you were laid off during 2020, collected unemployment, are currently collecting unemployment and expect to collect Unemployment until it expires September 7, 2021; please review the chart below.

If you have been/are collecting unemployment and do not go back to work until September 2021; when will you be eligible to collect unemployment if laid off after returning to work this year?

Note: To be eligible (for Unemployment) in 2021, you must have earned at least $220 per week during 20 or more weeks in covered employment during the base year period (Column Right below); or you must have earned at least $11,000 in total covered employment during the base year period. 

If hired and start work September 1, 2021 before the Labor Day weekend, you would have to work, and earn over $220, every week,  until the week ending January 15, 2022; to be able to file and qualify for Unemployment under the Alternate Base Year #2 method. You would not be eligible for unemployment under the Standard Base Year method, as shown in the table below.
Standard Base Year

If your claim is dated in:	Your claim is based on employment from:
September 2021	April 1, 2020 to March 31, 2021
October 2021 November 2021 December 2021	July 1, 2020 to June 30, 2021

For Details: Go to the Unemployment web

Division of Unemployment Insurance | Who is eligible for benefits?
Information about eligibility requirements for Unemployment Insurance benefits in the state of New Jersey.

Select the pull down Question: Did you earn enough during your "base year period" of employment?  Review all of the answers.

If you worked some during 2020, the numbers and dates may be different.

GOOD NEWS: A lot of businesses including the Casinos are hiring.
I recommend that if you are unemployed, that you start seeking and applying to jobs.

If you are employed but are interested in other employment, now may be a good time to apply for positions which may interest you