You should file an unemployment claim within 7 days of your last day of employment to avoid jeopardizing or delaying your first payment.

There are 2 ways to file a claim in the State of Rhode Island:  

1) File a Claim Online using the FILE NOW button above.
2) File a Claim on the phone by calling (401) 243-9100. If you're calling from out of state, the phone number is 1-866-557-0001.

Monday is generally the busiest phone day of the week; if you call later in the week, your wait time may not be so long.

You will need to provide your social security number and the full name, address and telephone number of all employers you have worked for in the last two years.

If you are not a United States citizen, you must provide your alien registration number. 

You must meet certain wage requirements. If you are laid off, the Rhode Island Department of Labor & Training strongly urges you to apply for benefits. They will determine whether you qualify based on all the facts relating to your claim and notify you as quickly as possible.

You must have been paid at least $12,600 in either your base period or an alternate base period. If you did not earn this amount, you may be eligible if you meet all of the following conditions: 

• You were paid at least $2,100 in one of your base period quarters, and
• You were paid total base period taxable wages of at least one and one-half times your highest single quarter earnings, and 
• You were paid total base period taxable wages of at least $4,200. Also, if you have had a previous claim, you must have worked again since filing that claim and must have been paid taxable wages of at least eighty times the R.I. minimum hourly wage of $10.50, or $840.

You must be unemployed through no fault of your own. You must be able to work, available for work and searching for full-time work. You must always be willing to accept a suitable job while you are claiming benefits.