You can update your contact information by visiting unemployment.oesc.ok.gov, calling 405-525-1500 or going to your nearest Oklahoma Works office.
Unemployment Benefits
Unemployment Insurance (UI) is a temporary supplemental income for individuals who have experienced a loss of work due to no fault of their own. Since UI is an insurance paid by Oklahoma employers, it is not available for self-employed, contract or gig workers. Typically, individuals must meet the following criteria to be eligible if they:
- Are unemployed through no fault of their own.
- Are able and available to seek and accept work.
- Earned a minimum of $1,500 from a covered employer during their base period.
- Meet the "1 and 1/2 rule" which states that the total wages of the base period must be at least one and a half times the amount of wages earned during the highest quarter of an individual's base period. More information on this rule can be found in Oklahoma Statute Title 40 Section 2-207.
- For Example, if an individual earns $24,000 during Q3, the total wages for their base period would need to be at least $36,000 to meet the "1 and 1/2 rule".
Benefit payments are issued to a debit card provided by a third-party vendor but automatic transfers to a personal bank account can be set up.
Learn more about who is eligible for unemployment, how to receive benefits and what the responsibilities are in the "Claimant Handbook".
Visit the unemployment portal to submit an initial unemployment claim, weekly certifications, verify identity, check the status of a claim or manage an open claim.
Unemployment Benefits Process
To apply for and receive unemployment benefits, individuals should follow the steps outlined below. In order to successfully file for and receive benefits, individuals must ensure that all requirements are met and deadlines are adhered to. Regularly checking for updates and responding to any requests from OESC promptly will help in navigating the process efficiently.
It is important to look out for mail and email communications from OESC, as these provide essential information and instructions. There are specific deadlines for all requirements during the process, so timely action is necessary to address any issues, disputes or concerns regarding claims.
Applying for Unemployment Benefits
Create an Account
Using details such as name, email address, telephone number, date of birth and verification code, create an account on the unemployment portal.
Verify Identity
Identity verification is required prior to filing a claim for unemployment. The accepted forms of primary ID are a driver’s license or a state-issued ID or a resident card or green card. Navigate to the unemployment portal to verify identity.
File a Claim
Gather previous employment details like start/end dates and pay to submit a claim for unemployment on the unemployment portal.
Register for Work
Register for a job seeker account on OKJobMatch, and upload and publish an updated resume.
Receiving Unemployment Benefits
Search for Work
For each week of unemployment, conduct and keep a record of at least two work search efforts. Work searches are not required to be made through OKJobMatch.
File Weekly Certifications
After filing an initial claim for each week unemployed, submit weekly certifications on the unemployment portal to receive benefits.
Reverify Identity
Identity verification is required every 90 days when filing for unemployment benefits. To reverify, go to the unemployment portal.
Attend Appointments
If selected for the RESEA program, attend all appointments and workshops. Learn more about the RESEA program.
Appeal Unemployment Decisions
An individual can file an appeal through multiple avenues, all of which are listed on determinations sent to claimants. All appeals should include the claimant's full name, social security number, phone number, date of determination, section of law that they are appealing and a detailed explanation of why they disagree with the decision. Check out more information about appeals by clicking the button below.
Reemployment Services
The Reemployment Services and Eligibility Assessment (RESEA) program provides reemployment assistance to Unemployment Insurance (UI) claimants who may not be able to return to their previous occupation or industry and, as a result, may run out of unemployment benefits. Individuals who are selected for this program will be notified by mail and must attend all appointments to receive unemployment benefits. If participants are unable to attend the scheduled appointment, they must contact the Oklahoma Works (OESC) office listed on their notice of eligibility letter prior to the appointment date to reschedule.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Claim Support
- New Claims
- Identity Verification
- Payments & 1099-G
If there is an 'issue' on your claim that is preventing payment, OESC will investigate the issue and determine whether you are eligible to receive benefits. That process can take varying amounts of time to resolve depending on the issue. If you are approved, payments will be backdated to the date the claim was filed.
To stop your claim (eg., if you returned to work) simply discontinue filing weekly certifications. No additional payments will be issued. To cancel a submitted claim, please contact our Unemployment Service Center at 405-525-1500 or visit your nearest Oklahoma Works office.
Weekly certifications must be filed within 14 days. They will become available on the Sunday following the week being filed for (e.g., the weekly certification for Sunday, June 1 through Saturday June 7 would become available at 12:01am on Sunday, June 8).
Contact our Unemployment Service Center at 405-525-1500 if you encounter any problems when filing your weekly claim. Additionally, you may also visit one of our local Oklahoma Works offices to receive assistance.
To reset and establish a new PIN, contact our Unemployment Service Center at 405-525-1500 or visit your nearest Oklahoma Works office. For resetting your debit card PIN, please contact our card vendor Conduent at 866-320-8699.
Your benefit year is the 52-week time period that your unemployment claim is considered active before you need to reapply. This starts when you first filed and were approved for unemployment benefits, and lasts for 52 weeks (one year) from when you were eligible. This does not necessarily mean you will be eligible for benefits all 52 weeks. Eligibility depends on your individual situation.
Everyone with an active claim is required to conduct and keep a record of at least two work search efforts for each week they file for unemployment benefits. When filing weekly certifications, claimants will attest that they have completed and documented the required work searches. These records may be requested in the event of an audit.
The only individuals exempt from work searches are those who:
- are on a temporary layoff with a definite return-to-work date within 8 weeks of the last date worked
- are a member of a certified labor or trade union with a business agent or hiring hall
- are in an approved training program such as training provided through the Trade Adjustment Assistance program
A work search effort involves the following:
- Submit a resume or application to an employer by fax, email, mail, in-person or online.
- Participate in an interview for a job. The interview may be in-person, over the phone or any method determined by the employer. Contacting an employer to determine if any job openings exist does not count as a work search.
- Participate in re-employment services. These services include job-search workshops or any customized job readiness workshop. These workshops do not have to be presented by a state agency and will count as one work search contact in the week the workshop is attended.
- Register with a placement service of any professional organization to which the claimant is a member. This activity counts as one work search contact at the time of registration.
- Register with a placement service of any school from which you graduated. This activity counts as one work search contact at the time of registration.
- Take examinations for work with governmental agencies. This will count as one work search contact for each examination taken, provided they were for different jobs or agencies.
Applying to different positions with the same company can count as separate work searches as long as you document the different jobs being applied for. Example: Work Search #1 at ABC Company, Customer Service Rep, Job Reference #1234 | Work Search #2 at ABC Company, Receptionist, Job Reference #5678.
Work search efforts involving the same employer for the same role or position may only be repeated every four (4) weeks. Claimants may search for different roles or positions with the same employer, as desired. If employer initiates a second interview and the claimant completes the interview, the second interview may be considered a work search effort for the claimant.
Work searches may be done through okjobmatch.com, as well as other career websites such as Indeed or LinkedIn.
The best way to record work search efforts is by adding them to your OKJobMatch.com account. By adding your work searches here, you can keep your work registration and work searches all in one place without having to worry about keeping track of a paper form in case you’re audited.
Work search documentation should include:
- date of contact
- company name, address and phone number
- job title or position
- email, website link and job reference number (if job was applied online)
- person contacted (if applicable)
- method of contact
- results of contact
View a sample documentation form and template.
To record work searches on OKJobMatch, navigate to your home screen after logging in and click “Job Search Activity” on the left navigation menu. From that screen, select the tab labeled “External Job Search Activity”. Click on the button labeled “Add Activity” to fill in the information associated with your work search activity.
Claimants should retain documentation of their work search activity for two years, even after finding employment. In case of an audit, individuals are required to provide the needed information within 5 business days of the notice being mailed. OESC will then contact the employers listed on the work search documentation to confirm the work search activity.
OESC may contact you by phone or email if there is suspicion that a claim has been fraudulently filed under your name. If you are unsure whether you’re speaking or communicating with an OESC representative, you can call OESC directly at 405-525-1500 or visit an OESC field office in-person. To find your nearest office, visit locations page.
For individuals who quit or were fired, a hold will be placed on their claim until a determination of eligibility can be made by OESC. Leaving work voluntarily without good cause may result in individuals being ineligible for benefits. For more information about what is considered "good cause", reference Oklahoma Statute Title 40 Section 2-405. For information about provisions for leaving work due to compelling family circumstances, reference Oklahoma Statute Title 40 Section 2-210. For information on being discharged or fired for misconduct, reference Oklahoma Statute Title 40 Section 2-406.
In order to complete your application, you'll need the following information and documents:
- Social Security Number
- Name, mailing address, telephone number and e-mail address
- Alien registration number and expiration date, if a non-citizen
- Oklahoma driver's license or state-issued ID card number
- Name and address of the company on your paycheck stub or W-2 form
- Employment start and end date
- Wages earned and how you were paid (hourly, weekly and monthly)
- Form SF8 or SF 50 if employed by the Federal government in the last 18 months
- DD Form 214 for military service in the previous 18 months
The amount that an individual qualifies for is based on wages earned from covered employers during the base period. The base period is the first four of the previous five completed calendar quarters (approximately first 12 of the last 15 months). The full method of calculation for weekly benefit amounts and maximum benefit amounts can be found in sections 2-104 and 2-106 in the Oklahoma Employment Security Act.
All unemployment benefits are taxable. Individuals who filed for and received unemployment benefits will receive a 1099-G tax form from the Oklahoma Employment Security Commission.
When you file for unemployment, you can choose to have taxes taken out when benefits are paid. If you opt to have the deductions taken out of your unemployment benefits, the standard deduction used is 10% for Federal taxes and 3% for State taxes. When filing your yearly income taxes, you will include the 1099-G as part of your income documents and report accordingly.
Once your claim is filed, OESC will first determine if you are monetarily eligible for benefits. We may need to request wages from other states, complete investigations on missing wages, request federal agency or military wages or adjust your claim’s base period to accurately determine monetary eligibility.
Once we have determined that you are monetarily eligible, we will review your claim to determine if you are allowed benefits under the Oklahoma Employment Security Act. The U.S. Department of Labor has established that this eligibility determination should be issued within 21 days of a claim becoming monetarily eligible. After a determination is met, you will be mailed a letter detailing the decision and further information.
All individuals filing for unemployment are required to serve a one week waiting period per Oklahoma law (Title 40 Section 2-206). The first week when individuals file a weekly certification during which all eligibility requirements are met, will be considered the waiting period, during which no payments will be issued. This will not subtract from your total benefit amount.
It is possible to work part-time and still draw unemployment. Full-time is defined as 32 hours or more. You must report the hours worked and gross amount of money you earned before any deductions were made. Earnings must be reported during the week you earn them, not when you actually receive the payment. “Work” means anything you do for wages during the seven (7) days of the week you are claiming unemployment benefits.
If you are a victim of domestic violence or abuse that has resulted in your separation from employment, you may be eligible for unemployment insurance (UI) benefits. Oklahoma law states: “If the claimant separated from employment due to domestic violence or abuse, verified by any reasonable or confidential documentation, which causes the individual to reasonably believe that the individual’s continued employment would jeopardize the safety of the individual or of any member of the individual’s immediate family.”
For additional information and assistance, please visit your nearest Oklahoma Works office. For those transitioning between careers, OESC provides training, educational opportunities, skill-building, resume assistance, networking and job referrals.
To complete work registration for unemployment insurance, you must have an active job seeker account and an active resume:
- Answer all questions in My Personal Information (accessible from My Profile)
- Select an occupation in the Work Wanted section
- Create a resume and select Publish to activate it
- Maintain an active resume at all times
Log in regularly to prevent your account from being disabled due to inactivity.
Once you begin, you will have 15 minutes before your session times out. If you do not complete the process within the 15 minute window, your progress may be lost.
Accepted forms of ID for online verification are a driver’s license or state-issued ID from any US state (except PA) or a resident card/green card. In rare cases when the information from an ID can't be validated, a secondary ID may be requested. At this time, only a passport is acceptable as a secondary ID online. No other forms of ID are valid for online verification.
When verifying in-person at an OESC office, claimants must provide two forms of identification, one primary and one secondary ID. Below is a list of acceptable primary and secondary IDs for in-person verification, which are different than those accepted for online verification. Out-of-state residents will need to have the workforce office fax the front and back of the IDs to 405-962-7524 and include the claimant's SSN and email on the fax.
Primary
- Driver’s License or State issued ID
- US Passport or Foreign Passport with I-551
- Permanent Resident Card or Alien Registration Receipt Card
- US Military ID, including spouse or dependent’s ID
- Native American ID with photo
Secondary
- Social Security Card
- Native American Tribal document
- Certified Birth Certificate
- Voter’s Registration Card
- Other State-issued ID with photo
- Medical Marijuana Card
- Concealed Carry Permit
When verifying in-person at a USPS facility, claimants must provide a current (i.e., not expired) photo identification. The only approved forms of identification are below. These differ from the approved IDs that can be used when verifying at an OESC office. Additionally, the address listed on a photo ID must match the address that was provided to OESC.
Primary ID
- US Government-issued ID
- State driver’s license
- State non-driver’s identification card
- Uniformed services identification card
- US Passport (requires secondary form of ID)
If the address on your ID does not match the address you provided to OESC, or if it does not have an address listed, you must provide a secondary ID or document containing the address provided to OESC in addition to the photo ID above. Acceptable forms of secondary identification are:
Secondary ID
- Lease, mortgage or deed of trust
- Voter registration card
- Vehicle registration card
- Home or vehicle insurance policy
Unemployment benefits are paid to a debit card provided by the state's vendor, Conduent. The card will be issued to you at the time your first eligible week processes. It normally takes between 10-14 days to receive the card. Do not throw the debit card away. You have two (2) options to receive payments.
- You may receive your payments via the debit card
OR
- You may transfer the payments from the debit card into your own U.S. banking account, for no fee.
To access payments through either option, you must activate the card by following the instructions sent with the card. To set up this recurring transfers, you must activate your card and then visit GoProgram.com or call 866-320-8699 and use the automated system to enter your banking information. If you were previously issued a debit card for benefit payments within the past three (3) years, your payment will be issued to that debit card unless otherwise specified. If you no longer have your previously issued debit card, please contact Conduent at 866-320-8699.
Your unemployment debit card will be mailed the day after your first eligible weekly certification has been filed. Please allow 10-14 days to receive the card. If it has been more than 14 days since you filed your first eligible weekly certification, and you have received confirmation from OESC that you are eligible for benefits and payments have been issued, please contact Conduent at 866-320-8699 to resolve your missing card.
If no payments are showing as issued, there may be an issue with your claim, and you will need to call our Unemployment Service Center at 405-525-1500 to speak with a representative or contact your nearest Oklahoma Works office for assistance.
Cards can be expedited by Conduent, but there is a fee for the additional mailing costs. These will be deducted from the balance on the card. There is a limited number of debit cards Conduent can issue in a single day, so in rare cases claimants may be unable to expedite cards. To expedite a card, please contact our Unemployment Service Center at 405-525-1500, your nearest Oklahoma Works office or Conduent at 866-320-8699.
All unemployment benefits are issued to a pre-paid debit card provided by our card vendor Conduent. If you would like these funds automatically transferred to your personal banking account, you can do so after receiving and activating your card. To set up recurring transfers, contact Conduent at 866-320-8699 or visit their website at goprogram.com.
If your claim is valid and you file an eligible weekly certification, payments are typically issued the following day to your unemployment debit card. Please keep in mind that weekends and holidays may delay deposits. Also, if you have set up recurring transfers to your personal banking account, an additional day may be required depending on your bank's processing time.
Conduent is a third-party vendor for the State of Oklahoma. For all debit card related inquiries, such as delays, recurring transfers (direct deposits), suspensions or other activity, please contact them at 866-320-8699 or by visiting their website at goprogram.com.
Your 1099-G reflects the total amount paid to you or on your behalf, which may include regular unemployment compensation, federal unemployment benefits (PUA, FPUC and PEUC), child support deductions, any backpay or lump sum deposits made during the year, as well as any benefits used to offset an overpayment(s) during the tax year.
If you believe there are still incorrect funds showing, please contact us. You may need to provide all monthly Conduent statements for review.
You can access a digital version of your 1099-G form on Unemployment.oesc.ok.gov. If you have trouble accessing it, please contact OESC's Unemployment Service Center at (405) 525-1500 for assistance or contact your nearest Oklahoma Works office.
If you received a 1099-G form and didn't file for unemployment benefits, you may have had a fraudulent unemployment claim filed in your name so please contact us.
Additionally, the Internal Revenue Service has provided resources to help you navigate this issue. You will find detailed information on what steps you should take by accessing the following link Employment Related Identity Theft | Internal Revenue Service (irs.gov)
