People can be desperate to hold onto jobs today. You might find yourself biting your tongue and not complaining to your boss about something for fear of losing your job. You might be worried about what will happen if your child is sick and you might have to miss work. Will that cost you your job? The economy is in a scary place and everyone is worried about not having a job to provide income. What do you do if you find yourself laid off?

North Carolina Unemployment Insurance in is designed for just this reason. Often, through no fault of their own, people are let go from their jobs and need temporary assistance in creating and income to pay the bills. Unemployment benefits are available to you if you have lost your job (not your fault) and you are actively looking for a new one.

North Carolina Unemployment Insurance Benefits don’t cost you anything. The money for this unemployment program comes from taxes paid by employers. The amount of money you are eligible for depends on your past wages, the reason you lost your job, and certain requirements about how you need to be searching for a new job. As of December 2008, North Carolina benefits ranged from $41 to $476. Unemployment payments in North Carolina are made, provided for a minimum of thirteen (13) weeks to a maximum of twenty-six (26) weeks, but only if all requirements are met. You’ll need to check with the Employment Security Commission to be sure about what those requirements are when you apply.

To find specific information on how and where to file an unemployment claim, you can visit the Employment Security Commission of North Carolina website at http://www.ncesc.com/splash.asp or you can call North Carolina Unemployment Insurance at 1-877-841-9617. They can answer specific questions you have.

When you apply for unemployment benefits, you will need to bring along your social security card as well as a letter from your former employer stating that you have been separated from your job. It’s also good to have the names and addresses of your employers for the past eighteen months. You’ll be asked to provide that information on your application.

If you are found eligible for unemployment benefits, you will receive a debit card in the mail. You must activate that debit card before you can use it. You will need a PIN number for that card. Be sure to understand how and where you can use that card so as not to incur unnecessary fees. Your unemployment benefits will be applied directly to the debit card.

While unemployment benefits are extraordinarily helpful during the times you are not working, this is also a good time to take a look at your job skills and how to improve your chances of being hired into another job as soon as possible. Update your resume. Network. If you need help making an action plan to find a new job, the Employment

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