Due to the economic shutdown from the coronavirus, many Americans have been laid off, furloughed, or had their hours cut dramatically.

Typically, between 200,000 – 300,000 new people file for unemployment benefits each week, while a record-breaking 3.2 million filed for benefits with the week ending March 21, and that number will continue to go up as more and more companies are laying off or furloughing employees.

The passage of the CARES Act is opening up unemployment benefits for more people, increasing the length of time they can get unemployment, and increasing the amount they can get each week.

Who qualifies for unemployment benefits?

The CARES Act makes more people eligible for unemployment, including self-employed, gig workers (such as Uber or Lyft drivers), part-time employees, independent contractors, freelancers, and others. In many cases even workers who have had their hours cut, but are not totally unemployed, will qualify for partial benefits.

Career One Stop, which is an unemployment site sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor, states that under the new law, states can pay benefits where, “An employer temporarily ceases operations due to COVID-19, preventing employees from coming to work; an individual is quarantined with the expectation of returning to work after the quarantine is over; and an individual leaves employment due to a risk of exposure or infection or to care for a family member. In addition, federal law does not require an employee to quit in order to receive benefits due to the impact of COVID-19.”

 

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