To apply for unemployment benefits in Mississippi, the former worker has a couple of options at his or her disposal.
- Where to Register for Unemployment Benefits in Mississippi
- Required Information for Unemployment Registration in Mississippi
- The Unemployment Registration Process in Mississippi
If you have asked “How can I sign up for unemployment?” you will need to understand the application process and all of the necessary elements required to file for unemployment. Claimants interested in knowing where to sign up for unemployment and related information about the process, or required documents, will find the information here in helpful.
Mississippi Unemployment Resources
Where to Register for Unemployment Benefits in Mississippi
When determining where to apply for unemployment in Mississippi, the former worker has two options at their disposal. The applicant can apply over the phone with the MDES Call Center, or file an online application for unemployment. As for how to apply for unemployment online, that will be answered by online instruction.
Regarding the question “How can I sign up for unemployment in MS?”, keep in mind that a newly implemented procedural change is that MDES will no longer accept new or reopened employment claims on Monday and Tuesday. However, people who served on active duty in the military or earned wages in another state or a federal agency may continue to file by phone on Mondays and Tuesdays.
When it comes to the MS unemployment EDD application steps, if the former worker earned base period wages in Mississippi and becomes unemployed after moving to another state, he or she may file an interstate claim against Mississippi either online or by contacting the MDES Call Center.
Conversely, if a worker moves to Mississippi after having earned base period wages in covered employment in another state, he or she may file an interstate unemployment claim against the state in which he or she has qualifying base period wages.
Required Information for Unemployment Registration in Mississippi
To file for an unemployment claim in Mississippi, the applicant must have proper identification. This can include a driver’s license, a state-issued picture ID, a Social Security card, a military ID, a birth certificate or any unexpired forms of ID verification acceptable for E-Verify.
Petitioners claiming benefits for unemployment will also need to provide the name and address of prior employers, as well as the last day worked and the reason for separation from each employment. Regarding the listed reason for separation from employment, the employer also provides information regarding this.
Overall, the employer also weighs in on the applicant’s ability to work and availability to work. This information is used by MDES to determine if further investigation is necessary.
When the claimant wants to file for unemployment, his or her Social Security number will be used to report the unemployment insurance earnings to the Internal Revenue Service as income that is taxable. It will also be used as a record index for processing the claim, for statistical purposes, and to verify eligibility for unemployment insurance and other public assistance benefits.
The information the claimant provides at the time of filing is cross-matched with the Social Security Administration’s records. Information concerning the claim may be requested and utilized by other agencies to verify income and eligibility.
The Unemployment Registration Process in Mississippi
The unemployment registration process takes place online or over the phone with the MDES Call Center. The former employee is also required to participate in reemployment services as defined by MDES.
The MDES Workforce Investment Network (WIN) Job Centers offer employment services in which job seekers who possess occupational skills and employers who need workers with these skills are brought together. The services available at the WIN Job Centers shorten the length of unemployment insurance coverage, provide training opportunities to those applicants with little or no occupational skills and provide placement and support to the claimants.
The placement activities work by obtaining a job order from an employer for a worker, selecting the person most suitable for the job, referring the person to the employer for consideration and verifying that the unemployment insurance benefits recipient has been accepted by the employer and has begun the job.
In case there is not a current match of employer need and applicant job skills, the WIN Job Center engages in an active program of job development on behalf of such job seekers to bring their availability to the attention of employers who hire workers with such skills.
The WIN Job Centers also provide Job Search Skills Training which includes items such as how to dress appropriately for a job interview and how to conduct oneself during the interview. MDES does not charge a fee to job seekers.
As a benefit to those who have completed unemployment registration, each full-service, comprehensive WIN Job Center has a Resource Center located within the office. The Resource Centers offers personal computers, internet access, self-directed materials, and hard copy materials for applicants to use to obtain information for job search and/or career choices. The offices also offer access to fax machines and copy machines.