​You should file for unemployment benefits in New Jersey if you live in New Jersey and worked in New Jersey. You should also file for unemployment benefits in New Jersey if you worked in New Jersey but live in or have moved to another state.

Internet Filing

New benefit filing or reopening existing claims. You can now file for unemployment benefits over the Internet—this includes filing for new benefits or reopening an existing claim. There are some restrictions, and you can only file an application online if:

• All of your employment in the past 18 months was in New Jersey;
• You did not work for the federal government in the past 18 months;
• You were not in military service in the past 18 months;
• You did not work as a maritime employee in the past 18 months
• You do not reside outside the United States
• You are not filing a new claim, or re-opening a claim, for the following benefit extension programs:  Emergency Unemployment Benefits (EUC) or Extended Benefits (EB).

You will be asked to give personal information, such as your Social Security number, address, and telephone number, as well as information on recent employers. This is a lot of private information, and you may feel more comfortable applying for benefits over the telephone.

Continued benefit claims. People who receive unemployment insurance must submit a continued benefit claim every two weeks. This is how the state makes sure people receiving unemployment benefits still meet the program’s criteria. If you have already filed an unemployment claim—whether it was over the phone or online—you can now complete your continued benefit claims over the Internet. Anyone who has filed a New Jersey Unemployment Insurance claim can use this online service to recertify their claims—the restrictions on who can file an initial claim online don’t apply. You can even recertify online if you have an appeal pending.

To file a claim or continue benefits online, go to the Unemployment Insurance Benefit Claims site.

Telephone Filing or Certification

Internet filing is currently available only in English. If you speak Spanish or don’t want to file your claim over the Internet, you can still file by telephone. You do this by calling your local Reemployment Call Center. The phone numbers are listed below.

Union City
Serves Northeast New Jersey
(201) 601-4100

Freehold
Serves Northwest and Central New Jersey
(732) 761-2020

Cumberland
Serves South Jersey
(856) 507-2340

If you worked in New Jersey but live in a different state, call (888)-795-6672 (toll free) to file by telephone.

The New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development (NJLWD) has more information about claiming unemployment benefits on its Unemployment Insurance page.

The NJLWD also publishes a booklet about claiming unemployment benefits called Unemployment Insurance: Your Rights and Responsibilities. The booklet is available online through the NJLWD’s website in English and Spanish.​​​​

This information last reviewed: Mar 27, 2020