CA – Am I elgible for unemployment after being self employed for more than 2 years?

by Sam Marks

(Los Angeles, CA)

Got let go summer 2005 after 18 months of being employed.
Always had an LLC on the side for consulting gigs.
I did not apply for unemployement yet, but I am considering it since the economy is so bad and my LLC has not generated any income for more than 9 months. Am I eligible?

Hi Sam,

No, I do not think you will be eligible. You do not have the necessary qualifying wages in the base period California uses.

It’s the standard .. first 4 of the last five completed quarters.

California has pass a bill which will create an alternative base period, but it does not go into effect until sometime in 2011.

An alternative base period would help you anyway because it does not go back in time but forward making more recent earnings available to base monetary eligibility on.

Chris

Comments for CA – Am I elgible for unemployment after being self employed for more than 2 years?

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Sep 16, 2010
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owning a business

by: Anonymous

OK…He would not be eligible…but say he was working for 5 years in the same situation and had his own side business that made very little income…Is he eligible now?

Hi,

I sent you this link in an email too.

Self employment while collecting unemployment in CA

The most likely issue would be one of not being able and available to accept suitable work.

Personally, I think you should be fine because you can prove that you have had this sideline business concurrently with regular employment.

In other words it should be a non-issue, but to be safe make sure you let the EDD know and find out what needs to be reported as earnings from the self-employment when filing claims.