How Do I File for Unemployment?

To qualify for benefits, you must:  

• Be totally or partially unemployed.  

• Have lost your job through no fault of your own.  

• Have worked and earned a minimum amount of wages in jobs covered by UI during the last 15 to 18 months.  

• Be able and available to work, and be actively seeking work. (Work search requirement may be waived if certain criteria are met.)  

• Be registered in IowaWORKS to find a job (unless the work search requirement is waived).  

Questions? Get help with the resources below.
 

Be sure you have the required information ready to go:  

• Social Security Number.  

• Mailing address, telephone number and email address. 

• Information on your last employer (Name, payroll address, and telephone number), the start and end dates of your last job, and whether you are receiving vacation pay, severance, etc.  

• Reason for leaving your last job (for example, lack of work, quit, fired, on a leave of absence, laid off, etc.) 

• Necessary information to verify your identity (ID.Me) . 

• Name(s), date(s) of birth, and Social Security Number(s) of anyone claimed as a dependent on your federal income tax return.  

• Spouses may be claimed as a dependent if their gross wages were $120.00 or less in the week prior to filing your claim.  

• (Self-employment does not count as gross wages for dependent purposes.)  

• Your bank account number and bank routing number (if you wish to receive benefits via direct deposit). 

You may also need: 

• Your alien registration number (if not a U.S. citizen or permanent refugee).  

• Your DD-214/Member 4 (if you served in the U.S. military during the last 18 months). 

• Your  Standard Form 8/SF-8 (if you worked for the federal government in the last 18 months). 

You can apply for unemployment insurance benefits at any time Sunday through Saturday.  Iowans can apply in the following ways:  

• Filing for benefits online  (iowaworks.gov)
• Filing at a local IowaWORKS center

If you're filing for the first time, you'll need to register for an account on iowaworks.gov.

It may take several weeks after your application is received to begin receiving benefits. In the meantime, please continue to file a weekly claim online every week.  

It is important to use the iowaworks.gov site to register for work and complete weekly reemployment activities. The activities are confirmed. and they are required to keep your claim active. 

Please Be Aware:  

• All steps within the unemployment process are now completed on the IowaWORKS website (iowaworks.gov). Sign in to file a weekly claim. Report your reemployment activities and take any relevant actions around your claim.
• IWD now uses the Reemployment Case Management System program (RCM). This program provides services that support unemployment claimants earlier in the process. Learn about RCM and the new work search requirements.

Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals, & Licensing (Unemployment Insurance Appeals and Labor Division Section)

• Address: 
  6200 Park Avenue, Suite 100, Des Moines, IA 50321
• Labor Division: (515) 242-5870
• Labor Division Wage Section: (515) 725-5619
• Unemployment Insurance Appeals - Fax: (515) 478-3528
• Unemployment Insurance Appeals - In Iowa: (800) 532-1483
• Unemployment Insurance Appeals - Outside Iowa: (800) 247-5205

Iowa Workforce Development (Unemployment Insurance Benefits and Tax)

• Address: 
  1000 E. Grand Ave., Des Moines, IA  50319
• Unemployment Insurance Benefits: (866) 239-0843
• Unemployment Insurance Tax: (888) 848-7442