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Lost your job in Virginia? How unemployment works

Virginia pays regular unemployment insurance through the Virginia Employment Commission. Weekly benefits run $160–$478 for up to 26 weeks. Duration is 12 to 26 weeks, set by the claimant's two-quarter wages in the statutory table (not by the unemployment rate); the top table row pays 26 weeks. 1 unpaid waiting week. Last checked .

What to do this week

  1. File your claim now. File as soon as you become unemployed or your hours are cut. The claim effective date is the Sunday of the week you file and claims cannot be backdated. You can file online, by phone, in person. Open the VEC filing page or call 866-832-2363 (8:00am-4:30pm Monday-Friday (closed weekends and state holidays); TTY 800-828-1140 or Virginia Relay 711).
  2. Gather your records. The agency will ask for your last employers, dates and pay. To qualify: At least $3,000 earned in the two highest-paid base-period quarters combined.
  3. Start certifying every week. Weekly claim each week, online in CSS or by Interactive Voice Response (800-897-5630); file on the Sunday after the week ends (Saturday). Contact at least two different employers each week within the week claimed, and report them to VEC (written record every four weeks for phone filers); also register with Virginia Workforce Connection within 10 days of filing.
  4. Line up other help. Virginia SNAP income limits, Virginia health coverage, Virginia take-home pay calculator.

Virginia unemployment at a glance

Agency
Virginia Employment Commission (VEC)
Weekly benefit
$160–$478 (table in force from July 5, 2026)
Most weeks
26 — Duration is 12 to 26 weeks, set by the claimant's two-quarter wages in the statutory table (not by the unemployment rate); the top table row pays 26 weeks.
Waiting week
The first week of the claim is a waiting week: you must file and meet all requirements for it but are not paid for it.
Appeal deadline
You have 30 days from the date the decision is issued to file a written appeal.
Spanish / Chinese help
The VEC site offers translation into Spanish, Arabic, Farsi, Korean, Vietnamese, Chinese, French, Tagalog, Urdu and Bengali (site translation disclaimer applies); Spanish and English account-creation videos at https://www.vec.virginia.gov/css-tutorial; free language services by phone.

How much you could get

For new claims filed on or after July 5, 2026 the weekly range is $160 to $478. Claims filed before that date keep the old range ($112 to $430). How it is figured: Weekly amount is read from the statutory Benefit Table using the total wages in the two highest base-period quarters; $3,000 in those two quarters is needed to qualify and $18,900.01 reaches the maximum.

At the top of the table — $478 a week for 26 weeks — the most a claim can pay is $12,428. That is a ceiling, not a typical claim; most people get less because the amount follows past wages.

Who qualifies

  • Base period. Standard: first four of the last five completed calendar quarters before the claim effective date. If not eligible, an alternate base period may be used; the claimant cannot choose.
  • Work and wages. At least $3,000 earned in the two highest-paid base-period quarters combined.
  • If you quit. Leaving work voluntarily without good cause disqualifies you until you have performed services for an employer for 30 days or 240 hours and then separate again.
  • If you were fired. Discharge for misconduct connected with work disqualifies you until you have worked 30 days or 240 hours for an employer and then separate again.
  • Part-time, gig and self-employed work. Gross wages above $100 a week are deducted from the weekly benefit; if wages equal or exceed the weekly benefit no payment is made. Self-employment and gig work such as food delivery and ride sharing must be reported.

Weekly certification, taxes and appeals

How to file
File online through the VEC Customer Self Service (CSS) portal; if you cannot use the portal, call the Customer Contact Center. VEC lists in-person help at Virginia Works offices.
Weekly certification
Weekly claim each week, online in CSS or by Interactive Voice Response (800-897-5630); file on the Sunday after the week ends (Saturday).
Work search
Contact at least two different employers each week within the week claimed, and report them to VEC (written record every four weeks for phone filers); also register with Virginia Workforce Connection within 10 days of filing.
Taxes
Benefits are taxable by federal and state government and you may choose to have federal tax withheld; VEC does not state the withholding rate (the 10% is the federal IRS rate).
State withholding
VEC materials describe federal withholding only; no state withholding option is described
If you are denied
VEC First Level Appeals: online in Customer Self Service, by mail to P.O. Box 26441, Richmond VA 23261-6441, by fax (804) 786-8492, or in person at a Virginia Works office Keep certifying every week while the appeal is pending.
Overpayments
Overpaid benefits must be repaid, with possible costs, fees and interest, and can be taken from future benefits or tax refunds; a waiver of repayment may be available if the overpayment was not your fault and repaying would cause serious financial trouble. Fraud adds a 15% penalty and a 52-week bar.

Good to know in Virginia

  • Benefit table in force for claims on/after 2026-07-05 (HB1320/SB759); old table applies to earlier claims. The VEC claimant handbook PDF still shows the pre-July 2026 figures ($430 max).
  • Claim goes inactive if the first weekly claim is not filed within 21 days of filing, or you wait more than 21 days to file again.
  • The Virginia handbook and Benefits Information page do not state a federal withholding percentage; 10% is the federal rate.

Sources

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