Glossary
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- Able to work: You are mentally and physically able to work.
- Actively looking for work: You must complete at least five work-search activities each week and at least two of the five work-seeking activities must be direct contact with employers. Examples of activities that show you are seeking work include looking at job announcements, using job search tools online, attending a career fair, or taking a class to further your interview skills.
- Available to work: You are willing and ready to work without restrictions that would prevent you from accepting work (for example: transportation issues, vacations, or lack of childcare).
Adjudication
This is an additional review process for unemployment insurance claims that is required in certain cases to determine if someone is eligible for benefits. The Oregon Unemployment Department is legally required to investigate whether someone is eligible to receive benefits if doubts have been raised about their eligibility. Many issues can be resolved with quick follow-up questions, but other issues require a more thorough review through an adjudication process. Learn more about Administrative Decisions and Adjudication.
Base year
Your base year is the first four of the last five completed calendar quarters before the week you file your initial claim for unemployment insurance benefits.
Benefit year
Your benefit year is a 52-week period that begins the first week you file your initial claim for unemployment insurance benefits. Note that even though your benefit year is a 52-week period, you may only receive total benefits of up to 26 times your weekly benefit amount, and you can’t file a new Oregon unemployment insurance claim until your 52-week-long benefit year ends, even if you’ve received all of your benefits.
Extended benefits, high extended benefits
The extended benefits (EB) and high extended benefits (HEB) programs extend regular unemployment insurance benefits when a state is at high levels of unemployment. The average unemployment rate is federally reviewed over a three-month period to determine if the state will have extended benefits. When the average unemployment rate is 8% or higher, Oregon is in an HEB period, and up to 20 additional weeks of benefits are provided. If the rate is below 8% but above 6.5%, then Oregon is in an EB period, which provides up to 13 weeks of additional benefits.
Exhausted claim
Your unemployment insurance claim is exhausted when you've reached a $0 balance and no more funds are available for you from that benefit program.
Expired claim
Regular unemployment insurance claims expire after 52 weeks. That means you cannot claim any more weeks of benefits after your claim has expired, even if there is a positive balance in your account. You will need to file a new initial claim. Learn more about expired claims and when to file a new claim.
Frances Online
Frances Online is the best way to file your initial application for benefits and to check on a claim you have filed. This system also allows you to update your address, sign up for direct deposit, and more. Frances Online is available in Spanish and English.
Fraud
Unemployment insurance fraud occurs when someone provides wrong information or withholds facts on purpose to get benefits. If you hide or report wrong information on purpose, that is fraud. Fraud is a crime and can result in penalties including criminal prosecution. Learn more about unemployment insurance fraud, as well as unemployment identity theft.
Gross earnings
The amount of money you get for work before taxes and deductions are taken out. Gross earnings should be higher than net earnings.
Identity theft
People may file claims for unemployment benefits using names and personal information that they have illegally purchased or stolen in an online data breach, or when you share your personal information with others by accident or on purpose. When a person uses another person’s information to file an unemployment claim, this is a form of identity theft. Oregonians learn about the fraud when they get a notice from the Oregon Employment Department or their employer about their supposed application for benefits. If this happens to you, it means someone is misusing your personal information, including your Social Security number and date of birth. Report unemployment identity theft to us as soon as possible. Learn more about unemployment identity theft and unemployment insurance fraud.
Identity verification
You must verify your identity to receive benefits from the Unemployment Insurance Program. We may require identity verification at several points during your claim. We have multiple ways to verify your identity to make sure that only you have access to your information and benefits. We use several tools to protect your information and your benefits while also preventing fraud.
Learn more on our Verify Your Identity and Protect Yourself from Fraud pages.
iMatchSkills
This is the Oregon Employment Department’s online job-matching tool. It uses your skills and work history to find potential work. The more details you supply, the better iMatchSkills can help you. Register at imatchskills.org.
Initial claim
An application for benefits establishes a benefit year. To find out if you qualify for benefits, you need to fill out an application. This is called filing an initial claim. You only file an initial claim once per benefit year.
Net earnings
Your take-home pay, after taxes and deductions are taken out.
OED
The Oregon Employment Department (OED) is a state workforce agency. We promote employment for Oregonians by developing a diversified, multi-skilled workforce, and we provide support during periods of unemployment. Learn more about us.
Online Claim System (OCS)
Frances Online is the replacement for the Online Claim System.
Overpayment
An overpayment happens when you were paid benefits that you were not eligible for. Some overpayments happen when people give us inaccurate or partial information. Agency errors also cause overpayments. Others may be caused when a decision we made is changed on appeal after we receive new information.
When there are overpayments, we have a legal obligation to try to recover them. If you did not cause the overpayment, we normally “offset” that debt by deducting the amount of money owed from any future benefits you are eligible for.
Reasonable assurance
For educators, you may be eligible to get benefits during a school recess period if you have not been given “reasonable assurance” that you will return after the break. Generally, reasonable assurance means you have an offer of work in the same or similar capacity with the same rate of pay (or within 90%). The offer can be in writing, verbal, or implied. However, we must review your claim to make that determination.
Read more about unemployment insurance and school workers.
Self-employed
If you are working for yourself rather than for an employer, you are self-employed.
Training Unemployment Insurance (TUI)
This program lets eligible dislocated workers attend school and receive regular benefits at the same time so they can continue to care for their families and obtain employment. The program does not pay for the training itself, but instead removes the work-search requirements from your weekly claims while you attend school full-time.
Learn more about the Training Unemployment Insurance program.
Unemployed
Generally, you’re considered unemployed any week you work fewer than 40 hours and earn less than your weekly benefit amount.
Unemployment insurance (UI)
Unemployment insurance (UI) benefits replace part of your lost income when you become unemployed. It is not public assistance. Employers fund the UI program, and UI taxes are not withheld from employee paychecks.
U.S. Bank ReliaCard®
The Employment Department pays benefits electronically either by a U.S. Bank ReliaCard Visa debit card or by direct deposit. If you don’t apply for direct deposit, you will be sent a ReliaCard.
Waiting week
The waiting week is the first week you file a weekly claim and meet all eligibility requirements. Before you can start receiving benefits, Oregon law requires one waiting week per claim. You won’t be paid any money for the week, but claiming the week is required to receive credit for it as a waiting week.
Weekly benefit amount (WBA)
Your weekly benefit amount (WBA) is 1.25% of your total base year gross earnings. Under Oregon law, it will not be less than the minimum benefit amount or more than the maximum benefit amount you can receive.
For example, a worker who earned $20 per hour, working 40 hours per week for the past year would get $520 per week in benefits. $20 x 40= $800 per week x 52 weeks = $41,600. $41,600 x 1.25% =$520.
The minimum and maximum amount is updated every year. As of July 1, 2024:
- Minimum weekly benefit amount: $196
- Maximum weekly benefit amount: $836
Weekly claim
To get unemployment benefits, you must file a weekly claim. This is different from the initial claim. A weekly claim determines how much money we send you for the past week. Weekly claims are filed for the past week and start on Sundays and end on Saturdays. You must wait until Sunday to file your weekly claim for the week that ended on Saturday.
Work Share
The Work Share program gives employers an alternative to laying off their workforce. Employers can keep skilled employees during slow times by reducing their work hours. Eligible staff whose hours are reduced will get a portion of unemployment insurance benefits to make up for lost wages. Learn more about Work Share Oregon.
WorkSource Oregon
WorkSource Oregon connects job seekers with thousands of available jobs and training opportunities and connects employers with qualified candidates. Services are free. WorkSource Oregon offers the following services:
- Job referrals
- Workshops covering subjects such as interview preparation, resume writing, and basic computer knowledge
- Career planning
- Education and training opportunities with scholarship help
1099-G
A 1099-G is a tax form sent to people who got benefits. You use it when you are filing federal and state income taxes with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and Oregon Department of Revenue. You can download yours in Frances Online.