What state should I be filing for unemployment benefits with when multiple states are involved?

Question

I am an IT professional and was hired in 2009 (by a large defense firm) to work at a government agency (as a civilian contractor) in downtown Kansas City, Missouri where I worked on-site for about a year.  In late 2010 I started working exclusively (40 hrs/wk) from my home in Kansas (from 2010 until June 2012) and supported data centers in Oregon & Mississippi for this contractor.  The contracting firm I worked for is based in Maryland.  I was laid off in June 2012 and the defense contractor I worked for told me I would be eligible for unemployment benefits but they were not sure which state I should file under.  Which state am I entitled to collect unemployment benefits under since multiple states are involved?

Answer 1

Whichever state has recorded earnings for you. Any state can combine the wages of all states if needed. So you may want to call an unemployment office and ask them what states show earnings for you, compare this to your records, report anything that may be missing. Then compare the programs of the states - some have lower income requirements, some have a waiting week and other small differences.