If your summer PCS has left you jobless and you’ve had no luck hitting the pavement, you may be eligible for unemployment benefits, depending on the state you live in.
Unemployment compensation programs are mandated and run by individual state governments and each have their own set of rules. Eligible unemployed workers receive weekly checks to hold them over until they do find a job and may qualify for other benefits. Generally this compensation is not given to workers who voluntarily quit their jobs.
However, some states offer what is known as “good cause” exceptions to the rule, including quitting job to PCS with a military member or even to follow a civilian spouse to a new job in a new area.
Here is the 2014 list of state benefit rules:
- Alabama (military transfer only)
- Alaska (any job transfer, including military)
- Arizona (miitary transfer only)
- Arkansas (any job transfer, including military)
- California (any job transfer, including military)
- Colorado (military transfer only)
- Connecticut (any job transfer, including military)
- Delaware (any job transfer, including military)
- D.C. (any job transfer, including military)
- Florida (military transfer only)
- Georgia (military transfer only)
- Hawaii (any job transfer, including military)
- Illinois (any job transfer, including military)
- Indiana (any job transfer, including military)
- Iowa (military transfer only)
- Kansas (military transfer only)
- Kentucky (military transfer only)
- Maine (any job transfer, including military)
- Maryland (military transfer only)
- Massachusetts (any job transfer, including military)
- Michigan (military transfer only)
- Minnesota (any job transfer, including military)
- Mississippi (military transfer only)
- Missouri (military transfer only)
- Montana (military transfer only)
- Nebraska (any job transfer, including military)
- Nevada (any job transfer, including military)
- New Hampshire (any job transfer, including military)
- New Jersey (military transfer only)
- New Mexico (military transfer only)
- New York (any job transfer, including military)
- North Carolina (military transfer only)
- Ohio (any job transfer, including military)
- Oklahoma (military transfer only)
- Oregon (any job transfer, including military)
- Pennsylvania (any job transfer, including military)
- Rhode Island (any job transfer, including military)
- South Carolina (any job transfer, including military)
- South Dakota (military transfer only)
- Tennessee (military transfer only)
- Texas (military transfer only)
- Utah (military transfer only)
- Virginia (military transfer only)
- Virgin Islands (any job transfer, including military)
- Washington (any job transfer, including military)
- West Virginia (military transfer only)
- Wisconsin (any job transfer, including military)
- Wyoming (military transfer only)
These laws are subject to change at any time, check with the individual state for the most current information. To file for unemployment benefits visit your state office as soon as possible after your PCS. To find your state office visit: https://www.dol.gov/general/location
