The State of Texas calculates your weekly benefit using your last five quarters of earnings. Going back four quarters, the state uses the wages from the highest quarter. The number of the highest quarter wages divided by 25 becomes the weekly rate paid. The amount is 27% of wages paid in that quarter. This weekly amount is between $58.00 and 392.00 per week for 26 weeks.

The law also requires that a person filing for unemployment must have accumulated wages in two of the four periods used for calculation. The base period wages used for calculation must be at least 37 times the number of a weekly amount paid. Also if you have had a previous claim, you must also have earned at least 6 times your new weekly amount to be paid.

Texas also allows for alternative wage bases to be used in the event a person has suffered a long-term illness, been in an accident or was pregnant. These conditions must be verifiable and documentation submitted to Texas Workforce Commission.

To collect a weekly check, a person must prove their separation from their last employment was through no fault of their own, and, IF a problem existed before separation, the claimant tried to correct the situation. Texas also provides a list of acceptable reasons for having left employment and these reasons can be found on their TWC website

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Unemployment benefits in Texas provide temporary compensation to people who meet the requirements of Texas law.

Each state’s unemployment office provides its own insurance program for unemployment under Federal guidelines.

All states differ in that the unemployment office in each state applies its very own limits and formulas to calculate compensation.

Basic requirements for collecting unemployment in Texas:

1. One collecting benefits must have been employed. There are requirements for time worked and for wages earned.
2. It has to be determined that the unemployment is through no fault of the one filing.
3. The one collecting must file ongoing claims and reply to questions pertaining to continued eligibility. One must report any type of earnings, any job offers and refusals of working while claiming benefits.
4. One must meet all eligibility requirements for unemployment under Texas law.

Unemployment benefits are calculated based on the earnings of the individual filing. As of December 2008, the range of benefits was $57 to $378. Benefits are subject to taxes and one may choose to have taxes withheld from his benefit check. It typically takes two to three weeks before receiving the first benefit check after filing the claim.

Tips for correctly and completely filing unemployment claim:
1. Must have employer’s name, address and dates of employment. This can be found on W2s or pay stubs.
2. Must provide documentation to show that the employment is not the fault of the one filing with any written document, including layoff, severance or termination.

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Texas unemployment insurance will provide temporary compensation for workers that meet eligibility requirements under Texas law. The Texas Workforce Commission administers strict federal guidelines that they adhere to under their Texas unemployment insurance programs.

Requirements that need to be met to receive Texas unemployment insurance compensation in the state of Texas:

1. You must have been previously employed.

2. Prove that your unemployment status was not the fault of your own and not by voluntary separation.

3. Your unemployment claims have to be filed and you must report all earnings you have received from work, refusal of work or other job offers in any given claim period.

4. Miscellaneous requirements for unemployment benefits under Texas law.

For additional information on how to claim for Texas unemployment insurance, visit the official Texas Workforce Commission website at http://www.twc.state.tx.us/ or call 1-888-872-8417

If you are not in the state of Texas and want to file a claim:

1. Employer names, pay stubs, W-2s, addresses and dates of where you are employment currently should be collected when you file outside of Texas.

2. Prove that your unemployment status was not the fault of your own. Notarized documents of your layoff or termination. If you received any severance pay, notify the unemployment office.

Unemployment claim facts:

1. It will generally take 2-3 weeks to receive your benefit check, once you file your first claim.

2. You will receive anywhere from $57 to $378 on weekly benefit checks.

3. Texas unemployment insurance will last 26 weeks.

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Have you been denied unemployment benefits by the Texas Workforce Commission? Well, don’t despair, as there is an appeals process for you to show why your claim should be approved. Once you receive the initial letter from the TWC formally stating the denial, you have 14 days from when the letter was sent to file an Appeal by mail. No evidence needs to mailed with your request for appeal. If for any reason you miss that date, you may request an extension from the Appeals Tribunal, but they are not always granted so do your best to meet the 14 day deadline.

When your hearing is set, you and your former employer will receive written notice of the time and date along with instructions for how to attend the meeting by telephone. Do not miss this hearing, as postponements are usually not granted. Prior to your hearing date, make sure that you mail all pertinent evidence supporting your claim to the TWC at the address provided.

Any written evidence you may have, along with your testimony and the testimony of any witnesses that attend will be used to counter the rejection of your claim. This is the time to explain your facts so you can receive the benefits to which you are entitled. Use this opportunity to your advantage! The hearing officer will then weigh the facts, testimony and any witness observations to decide the case, and will mail the results to you and your employer promptly.

If you are denied benefits after this hearing, you may appeal to a tribunal of commissioners, who will then review the facts without issuing a new hearing. If you are denied after this process, you can request a rehearing within 14 days of that response. If you fail in this attempt, your final stop is civil court.

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In order to collect unemployment in Texas you must qualify. Determining if you are eligible for unemployment or not basically depends on three factors. The first factor is your past wages. In order to have a payable claim you need to have been paid in at least two of the four wage periods, your total base pay is at least thirty seven times your weekly benefit amount, and if you collected unemployment before you must have earned six times the weekly qualifying amount in order to be eligible again.

Second, the way that you left your previous job will determine whether or not your are eligible. You must prove that you left your job unwillingly or because you had no other choice. Some example that fall under these categories are being laid off or leaving because your hours were cut. You may also be eligible if you quit because you needed to move due to getting married or medical reasons.

Lastly, you must prove that you are available for work and continue searching for a job. During your unemployment period you must make an attempt to find a full time job, unless you are exempt. You must also be available and ready to work.

Under these circumstances, you may be eligible to collect unemployment benefits in Texas.

When you file for Texas unemployment benefits, you need to know what is on the Texas unemployment application. Many people call the unemployment hotline or visit the unemployment office and they are not fully prepared. Once you know what is on the actual Texas Unemployment Application, the unemployment claim process will be painless.

Things you need when you submit a Texas unemployment application:

1. Your last employer’s name and address.
2. Start and end dates (month, day and year) of your last employer that you worked for.
3. Total of hours you have worked and your pay rate (if this was a work week. Sunday has to be included).
4. Information regarding your normal wage.
5. Alien registration number (If you are not a U.S. citizen or natural born citizen).

To submit your Texas unemployment application online:

visit http://www.twc.state.tx.us/ui/uiclaim.html to submit your unemployment application.

To submit your Texas unemployment application over the telephone:

1-800-558-8321. Hours of operation are Monday through Sunday 7 a.m.to 7 p.m. If you want general information about unemployment benefits, you may access the automated services 24 hours a day.

If you are approved for unemployment benefits, you are required to seek employment and report your employment status every single week. The jobs have to be full time jobs. A list of all the places you applied for full time employment may be asked for upon request by the unemployment office. Make sure to keep records of all the places you applied to during the claim week.

According to Texas Workforce Commission (TWC), Texas unemployment rate for June 2009 (seasonally adjusted) was 7.5 percent. It is 2 points below national unemployment rate of 9.5 percent. Without seasonal adjustment Texas unemployment rate would have been 8 percent. Total amount of jobs lost in June was 40,600. Texas unemployment rate in May 2009 was 7.1 percent.

Most hurt industries were Trade, Transport and Utilities with 27,000 jobs lost in June. Professional and Business Services came next with 11,600 lost jobs. Manufacturing and Construction jobs were cut by 10,300 and 10,200 respectively.

On the other hand, Education and Health Services did not lose any jobs in June. Even more, since June 2008 those industries added 57,300 jobs. In June Financial sector added 1000 jobs, and Leisure and Hospitality Services gained 900 jobs. Some specialists think that increase in jobs in the service areas is a sign of economy improvement.

Amarillo Metropolitan Area had the lowest unemployment rate of 5.7 percent with Lubbock following with 6.0 percent. Midland was in the third place with unemployment rate of 6.1 percent. The highest unemployment rate of 11.1 percent was registered in McAllen-Edinburg-Mission area. Dallas-Fort-Worth and Houston unemployment rate was 8.1 and 8.3 percent. Those numbers were not seasonally adjusted.

Currently about 350,000 unemployed Texans are getting unemployment benefits and approximately 15,000 of workers qualify for extended benefits for additional 13 weeks. In order to better help job seekers and unemployed, TWC hired additional 348 employees to work in TWC centers across the state.