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Lost your job in New Jersey? How unemployment works

New Jersey pays regular unemployment insurance through the New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development, Division of Unemployment Insurance. Weekly benefits run $186–$905 for up to 26 weeks. Maximum benefit amount is the number of base weeks worked (20 to 26 count) times your weekly rate, capped at 26 weeks; US DOL lists duration as 20-26 weeks. No waiting week. Last checked .

What to do this week

  1. File your claim now. File as soon as possible after you become unemployed or your hours are cut; your claim is dated the Sunday of the week you file and the system will not backdate it, though you can ask a claims examiner to review missed weeks. You can file online, by phone, in person. Open the NJDOL filing page or call 732-761-2020 (Reemployment Call Centers: weekdays (except state holidays) 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.; North NJ 201-601-4100, Central NJ 732-761-2020, South NJ 856-507-2340).
  2. Gather your records. The agency will ask for your last employers, dates and pay. To qualify: In 2026, at least $310 per week in 20 or more base weeks, or at least $15,500 total in covered work in the base year.
  3. Start certifying every week. Certify online every week (Sunday-Friday, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.); by phone you certify every 2 weeks, Monday-Friday 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Your first certification is about 17 days after your claim date. Contact at least 1 different employer each week by phone, mail, internet or in person and keep a record; claimants with a work search waiver are excused from the full-time search.
  4. Line up other help. New Jersey SNAP income limits, New Jersey health coverage.

New Jersey unemployment at a glance

Agency
New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development, Division of Unemployment Insurance (NJDOL)
Weekly benefit
$186–$905 (table in force from January 1, 2026)
Most weeks
26 — Maximum benefit amount is the number of base weeks worked (20 to 26 count) times your weekly rate, capped at 26 weeks; US DOL lists duration as 20-26 weeks.
Waiting week
The statutory one-week waiting period does not apply to benefit years starting on or after January 1, 2002, so there is no waiting week.
Appeal deadline
A determination becomes final unless a written appeal is filed within 21 calendar days after it was mailed (next business day if the last day is a weekend or holiday).
Spanish / Chinese help
NJDOL provides Spanish materials (for example the Spanish side of the PR-94 handbook and Spanish 1099-G instructions); no Chinese claim pages were found.

How much you could get

NJDOL announced the maximum weekly rate rises to $905 on January 1, 2026 (from $875); the maximum total benefit is $23,530. The $186 minimum is the US DOL July 2026 table figure and equals 60% of the $310 minimum base-week wage. How it is figured: 60% of your average weekly wage in the base year, up to the maximum, rounded down to the next dollar; dependency benefits add 7% for the first dependent and 4% for each of two more (up to 15%), never above the maximum.

At the top of the table — $905 a week for 26 weeks — the most a claim can pay is $23,530. That is a ceiling, not a typical claim; most people get less because the amount follows past wages (an allowance for dependents can raise it).

Who qualifies

  • Base period. Regular base year is the first four of the last five completed calendar quarters before you apply; alternate base years are used if you do not qualify, especially after a period of disability.
  • Work and wages. In 2026, at least $310 per week in 20 or more base weeks, or at least $15,500 total in covered work in the base year.
  • If you quit. Quitting without good cause connected with the work (so compelling you had no choice) can disqualify you; to end it you must work 8 weeks and earn 10 times your weekly rate; domestic violence and a military spouse's transfer are exceptions.
  • If you were fired. A misconduct discharge disqualifies you from the week of discharge plus the next five weeks; gross misconduct (a crime of the first to fourth degree) disqualifies you until you work 8 weeks and earn 10 times your weekly rate.
  • Part-time, gig and self-employed work. You can get partial benefits if you work no more than 80% of normal hours; earnings up to 20% of your weekly rate do not reduce the benefit, and above that benefits fall dollar for dollar. Self-employed people who do not pay UI tax through their pay may not be eligible.

Weekly certification, taxes and appeals

How to file
File online at myunemployment.nj.gov, or by phone with a Reemployment Call Center (required for maritime workers and people living outside the US). In-person help is by appointment at a One-Stop Career Center.
Weekly certification
Certify online every week (Sunday-Friday, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.); by phone you certify every 2 weeks, Monday-Friday 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Your first certification is about 17 days after your claim date.
Work search
Contact at least 1 different employer each week by phone, mail, internet or in person and keep a record; claimants with a work search waiver are excused from the full-time search.
Taxes
You can choose to have 10% of each weekly benefit withheld for federal tax; NJ does not tax unemployment benefits and issues a 1099-G.
State withholding
No; New Jersey does not tax UI benefits
If you are denied
NJDOL Appeal Tribunal, online or by mail to PO Box 907, Trenton, NJ 08625-0907 Keep certifying every week while the appeal is pending.
Overpayments
Overpaid benefits must be repaid; NJ may waive an overpayment if it was not due to your fault (no misrepresentation), and fraud overpayments cannot be reclassified and carry fines and interest.

Good to know in New Jersey

  • Minimum weekly rate $186 comes from the US DOL July 2026 table (which shows $186-$213) and matches 60% of $310; NJDOL pages reviewed do not state a minimum.
  • Phone certification is every 2 weeks; online certification is weekly.
  • Employers have 7 calendar days to appeal.
  • Dependency benefits must be applied for within 6 weeks of the claim date.
  • If you apply after quitting a job for better pay or more hours, eligibility depends on a fact-finding interview.

Sources

Legal and agency information, not legal advice. Rules and benefit tables change — confirm with NJDOL before you rely on a number. How we check: methodology.