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.

After applying, it may take several weeks to process your application and start receiving benefits. In the meantime, please continue to file a weekly claim online every week.  

As part of filing your weekly claim on iowaworks.gov , you also will use the same website to register for work and complete weekly reemployment activities. These reemployment activities are then confirmed each time that you file a weekly claim and are required to keep your claim active. 

Please Be Aware:  

• All steps within the unemployment process are now completed in iowaworks.gov. You will use a single login to file a weekly claim, log your reemployment activities, and take any relevant actions around your claim.
• IWD has implemented its Reemployment Case Management System (RCM) program to provide enhanced services that support claimants earlier in the unemployment 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