State of nj department of labor and workforce development

The State of NJ site may contain optional links, information, services and/or content from other websites operated by third parties that are provided as a convenience, such as Google™ Translate. Google™ Translate is an online service for which the user pays nothing to obtain a purported language translation. The user is on notice that neither the State of NJ site nor its operators review any of the services, information and/or content from anything that may be linked to the State of NJ site for any reason. -Read Full Disclaimer

Here's how to reach us if you have questions about our programs, or need help with an application or claim.

1. Home
2. Before You Apply
3. About Unemployment Insurance
4. Step-by-Step Guide
5. How to certify for benefits online

How to certify for benefits online

Your claim is dated the Sunday of the week in which you filed your initial claim. The first time you claim benefits will be on a Wednesday, 17 days after your date of claim. To receive your unemployment insurance benefits, you must certify for benefits each week which you wish to receive benefits. You can only certify for benefits after the week has passed. Unemployment Insurance weeks begin on a Sunday and end at midnight on Saturday.

You will certify for benefits according to the most recent schedule, based on the last four digits of your Social Security Number (SSN).

If there is a problem with your claim that must be resolved before benefits can be paid, or if you have been denied benefits and are appealing the determination, you must still certify for and claim your benefits. You will receive "credit" for the weeks which you have claimed. If it is determined that you are eligible or if you win your appeal, you will be paid these benefits at a later date. If you have not claimed benefits and you win your appeal, you will not be paid for these weeks.

Read our steps for certifying online, and guidelines for certification questions below.

See when your Social Security Number is scheduled to certify for benefits for the current week.

Click here for the most up-to-date schedule.

When it is your time to certify, log in to our online application and answer the questions provided.

Click here to access our online benefits certification system.

Read the information, then click the "Continue" button at the bottom of the page. On the next page, after reading the disclaimer, click the button underneath "To Claim Weekly Unemployment Benefits" at the bottom of the page.

The first time you certify for benefits online, you'll need to create a 4-digit personal identification number (PIN) after entering your Social Security number. 

Be sure to create a PIN you will remember since you will need it to claim your benefits each week. You will then be prompted to re-enter the PIN.

After you enter your PIN, you'll be taken to a page of certification questions to confirm your continued eligibility for benefits.

Answer the certifications questions and click “Submit.”

After the confirmation page is displayed, the system will send an automatic confirmation notice to the email address associated with your account.

The answer to this question should be YES if: 

1. You were physically able to do your work before you lost your job (and you lost your job/hours due to your own coronavirus illness, your need to care for a family/household member with coronavirus, or your employment situation changed because of coronavirus public health emergency); OR
2. You are out of work temporarily due to an employer-closure related to the coronavirus and expect to return to your job; OR
3. You are able and available for work.

If you are waiting to be recalled to your present job, or delaying your job search until this natural emergency ends or subsides, you should answer YES.

If you refused an offer of work due to concerns related to the travel/stay-at-home restrictions of the coronavirus pandemic, or because you were ill with coronavirus, or because you wouldn’t be able to care for a coronavirus-affected family member, or care for a dependent whose place of care or school is closed because of coronavirus, you should answer NO.

If you are a student and just filed this unemployment claim as a result of the coronavirus emergency, and the Division of Unemployment Insurance has not reviewed your school status, please answer NO to this question (even if you are attending school online) at this time.

If you are a student who filed an Unemployment Insurance claim prior to this emergency, and have already provided the department with your school information, and your school is currently closed due to the coronavirus, please answer this question in the same manner (Yes or No) you would have prior to the school closing. 

If your separation is temporary and was caused by the coronavirus emergency, please answer NO to this question. However, if you receive any type of wage while you are not working, answer YES TO QUESTION #7 (see below) AND REPORT THE AMOUNT THERE.

If you are currently paying into a pension or other retirement plan but you are not receiving payments, you should answer “NO."

If you are receiving pension payments from an employer who is not listed you should also answer “NO."

You should answer “YES” if you are currently receiving pension or other retirement benefit payments from one of the employers in the list.

If you did any work (or received any payment for work previously completed) between the designated dates, answer YES and report what you earned.

IF YOU ARE RECEIVING PUA, to avoid payment delay, use ONLY question 7B – “Other than self-employed income" – to report ALL types of wages/commissions you received this week (even if the earnings were in self-employment). In 7A, choose “NO.”

If you know you will not have work the following week, immediately (no later than Saturday of the week in which you are claiming) follow steps to REOPEN/REASSERT THE CLAIM. If you received holiday/vacation/sick pay from your employer during this week, report that information here.

The answer to this question should be YES if you are physically able to work and you are available to report to work, and you would accept it.

Being available for work means that you must be ready to start work immediately. You must have access to transportation (car, bus, train, etc.) which would allow you to begin a job right away. Also, you must have no personal reasons preventing you from working. You will not receive benefits during any week in which you are unavailable for work. For instance, if you are on vacation or traveling for a week or more, you won't be able to receive Unemployment Insurance benefits during that time.

If you are not physically able to work your answer should be NO.

If you actively searched for work, you should answer YES. Telephone, internet and in-person contacts, as well as sending resumes, are all acceptable work search activities.

Otherwise, your answer should be NO.

Learn more about actively seeking work here.

If you did not refuse an offer of suitable work, you should answer NO. If you did refuse an offer of work, you should answer YES.

Because each person is not the same and has different circumstances, the definition of a "Suitable Job" is fitted to each person, depending on where he or she lives, his or her skills, experience and past salary. While you are unemployed, you will look for a job similar to your last job (distance traveled, job duties and salary). As you remain unemployed, you will be expected to revise your minimum job requirements. For example, you may have to travel a greater distance, accept a different type of job or accept a lower starting salary.

If you are attending school or training, answer YES. Otherwise, your answer should be NO.

If you receive any type of wage while you are not working, answer YES. We will send an e-Adjudication link to determine if it should be reported as earnings. If not, your answer should be NO.

You should answer “YES” if you are currently receiving pension or other retirement benefit payments from one of the employers listed. 

If you are not receiving pension payments or are receiving pension from an employer who is not listed, you should answer “NO.”

If you did any work (or received any payment for work previously completed) between the designated dates, answer YES and report what you earned. Report wages from an employer the week they were earned; report self-employment income the week it was received.

If you had work during the week for which you are claiming benefits, and you know you will not have work the following week, immediately follow steps to REOPEN/REASSERT THE CLAIM (no later than the Saturday of the current week you worked).  

La respuesta a esta pregunta debería ser SÍ/YES si:

1. Usted fue físicamente capaz de hacer su trabajo antes de perderlo (y perdió su trabajo / trabajó menos horas debido a su propia enfermedad por coronavirus, su necesidad de cuidar a un miembro de la familia / hogar con coronavirus, o su situación laboral cambió debido a coronavirus); O
2. Usted está sin trabajo temporalmente debido a un cierre del empleador relacionado con el coronavirus y Usted espera regresar a su trabajo; O
3. Estuvo capaz y disponible para trabajar.

Si está esperando que lo llaman para volver a su trabajo actual o demorando su búsqueda de trabajo hasta que esta pandemia finalice o disminuya, debe responder SÍ/YES.

Si no rechazó una oferta de trabajo debido a las restricciones en movimiento/orden de quedarse en casa de la pandemia de coronavirus, o porque estaba enfermo de coronavirus, o, porque si aceptara trabajo, no podría cuidar a una familia afectada por coronavirus miembro o cuidar a un dependiente cuyo lugar de cuidado o escuela está cerrado debido a coronavirus, debe responder NO.

Si Usted es estudiante y acaba de presentar este reclamo de desempleo como resultado de la emergencia del coronavirus, y la División de Seguro de Desempleo no ha hablado consigo y revisado su estado escolar, responda NO a esta pregunta (incluso si asiste a la escuela/universidad online) en este momento.

Si es un estudiante que presentó un reclamo de seguro de desempleo antes de esta emergencia (en el pasado, pero mientras fue un estudiante), y ya ha hablado con el departamento y proveído la información de su escuela al departamento, y su escuela está actualmente cerrada debido al coronavirus, responda esta pregunta de la misma manera (Sí o No) que tendría que responder antes del cierre de la escuela.

Si su separación del trabajo es temporal y fue causada por la emergencia del coronavirus, responda NO a esta pregunta. Sin embargo, si recibe algún tipo de salario mientras no está trabajando, responda SÍ A LA PREGUNTA # 7 (ver más abajo) Y COMPLETA LA CANTIDAD DE PAGO ALLÍ.

Debe responder "SÍ/YES" solo si actualmente está recibiendo pensión u otros pagos de beneficios de jubilación de uno de los empleadores enumerados abajo en esta página. Si actualmente está pagando hacia una pensión u otro plan de jubilación, pero no recibe pagos, debe responder “NO”. Si recibe pagos de pensión de un empleador que no está en la lista abajo, también debe responder “NO”.

Si hizo algún trabajo (o recibió algún pago por trabajo hecho previamente) entre las fechas designadas, responda SÍ/YES y reporte lo que ganó de pago durante esa semana.

SI ESTÁ RECIBIENDO PUA: Para evitar el retraso del pago, use SOLAMENTE la pregunta 7B "Other than self-employed income" para informar TODOS los tipos de salarios / comisiones que Ud. recibió esta semana (incluso si los ingresos fueron por cuenta propia). Escoja “No” para 7A.

Si sabe que no tendrá trabajo la semana siguiente, inmediatamente (no se tarda más del sábado de la semana en la que está reclamando) siga los pasos para ABRIR / REASERTAR LA RECLAMACIÓN (REOPEN/REASSERT THE CLAM). Si recibió el pago de vacaciones o días/horas licencia pagada por enfermedad de su empleador durante esta semana, completa esa información aquí.

La respuesta a esta pregunta debería ser SÍ/YES si está físicamente capaz de trabajar y está disponible para presentarse a trabajar, y aceptaría el trabajo.

Estar disponible para trabajar significa que debe estar listo para comenzar a trabajar de inmediato. Debe tener acceso a transporte (automóvil, autobús, tren, etc.) que le permita comenzar un trabajo de inmediato. Además, no tiene razones personales que le impidan trabajar. No recibirá beneficios de desempleo durante ninguna semana en la que no esté disponible para trabajar. Por ejemplo, si está de vacaciones o viaja durante una semana o más, no podrá recibir los beneficios del seguro de desempleo durante ese tiempo.

Si buscó trabajo activamente, debe responder SÍ. Los contactos por teléfono, Internet y en persona, así como el envío de currículums, son todas actividades aceptables de búsqueda de trabajo.

De lo contrario, su respuesta debería ser NO.

Obtenga más información sobre cómo buscar trabajo activamente aquí.

Si Ud. no rechazó una oferta de trabajo apropriado, debe responder NO. Si rechazó una oferta de trabajo, debe responder SÍ.

Debido a que cada persona no es igual y tiene diferentes circunstancias, la definición de "Trabajo Apropriado" se ajusta a cada persona, dependiendo de dónde viva, sus habilidades, experiencia y salario anterior. Mientras esté desempleado, buscará un trabajo similar a su último trabajo (distancia recorrida, deberes laborales y salario). Mientras permanezca desempleado, se esperará que revise sus requisitos mínimos de trabajo. Por ejemplo, es posible que deba viajar una distancia mayor, aceptar un tipo de trabajo diferente o aceptar un salario inicial más bajo.

Si asiste a la escuela o recibe capacitación laboral, responda SÍ. De lo contrario, su respuesta debería ser NO.

Si recibe algún tipo de pago mientras no está trabajando, responda SÍ. Enviaremos un enlace de adjudicación electrónica por email para determinar si debe declararse como ganancias. Si no es así, su respuesta debería ser NO.

Debe responder "SÍ / YES" solo si actualmente está recibiendo pensión u otros pagos de beneficios de jubilación de uno de los empleadores enumerados abajo en esta página. Si actualmente está pagando hacia una pensión u otro plan de jubilación, pero no recibe pagos, debe responder "NO". Si recibe pagos de pensión de un empleador que no aparece en la lista abajo, también debe responder "NO".

Si hizo algún trabajo (o recibió algún pago por el trabajo completado anteriormente) entre las fechas designadas, responda SÍ e informenos lo que ganó. Declara los salarios de un empleador la semana en que los ganó; declara los ingresos del trabajo por cuenta propia (self-employment) la semana en que se recibieron.

Si tuvo trabajo durante la semana por la cual está reclamando beneficios y sabe que Ud. no tendrá trabajo la semana siguiente, siga inmediatamente los pasos para REABRIR / REAJUSTAR EL RECLAMO (REOPEN / REASSERT THE CLAIM) (el sábado de la semana actual en la que trabajó es lo más tarde que lo debe reabrir).

• Latest schedule for certifying for benefits
• Add qualifying dependents to your claim
• Adjust your tax withholding
• Attend our scheduled appointments
• Get more help
• Go back to see the process at a glance

• Schedule for claiming weekly benefits
• NJ Workers: FAQs during the coronavirus emergency
• How to apply for Unemployment Insurance
• Paid leave and job protections

How do I contact nj Department of labor?

How do I talk to a live person at nj unemployment?

What is Workforce Development in nj?

Why did I receive a debit card from NJ Department of Labor and Workforce Development?