Massachusetts: Unemployed in a decimated industry and wanting to go back to school

Hi! I worked as a construction manager for 6 years and was laid off last week. Jobs are few and far between in this industry because 1) no one is building 2) the companies that are still in business have a huge pool of qualified, laid off people to choose from. Its next to impossible to find a job quickly. So I decided to go back to school for my masters in nursing.

Am I able to keep my unemployment if I go back full time? I feel like because of the state of the economy, my only option is to change industries and go back to school rather that hit dead end after dead end in the construction job search.

thanks

Hi,

To keep your unemployment benefits you will need to be approved by the state to go back to school full-time .. otherwise you will lose the benefits due to being unable and unavailable for work.



I think these are the people you need to check with MA Workforce Development For anyone else reading this is thinking of going back to school, finding training, getting a certification, etc. You need to do things by the book to keep your benefits.

All states have one of these as part of their unemployment program and it is usually linked to from the website you apply for benefits. In fact you are usually required to register with them for work.