District of Columbia Unemployment Contact Information

District of Columbia Unemployment Contact Information

DC Unemployment Phone Numbers and Locations

DC unemployment staff are standing by to help answer your questions.

DOES Office of Unemployment Compensation

Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

  • Phone: (202) 724-7000
  • Fax: (202) 673-6993
  • TTY: (202) 698-4817
  • Email: does@dc.gov

Headquarters Address:

4058 Minnesota Avenue, NE
Washington, DC 20019

American Job Centers in Washington DC

Name Location Phone
American Job Center - Northeast 5171 South Dakota Avenue NE
(Hamilton Street Entrance) 2nd Floor
Washington, DC 20017
(202) 576-3092
American Job Center - Northwest Franklin D. Reeves Building
2000 14th Street NW, 3rd Floor, Suite #336
Washington, DC 20009
(202) 442-4577
American Job Center - Southeast 2330 Pomeroy Road S.E.
Washington, DC 20020
(202) 741-7747
American Job Center - Headquarters 4058 Minnesota Ave NE
Washington, DC 20019
(202) 724-7000

DC Unemployment Phone Numbers

Division Telephone Number
UI Benefits Division – General Information 202-724-7000
UI Benefits Division – Claims Information 202-724-7000
UI Benefits Division – Charge Protests 202-724-7000
American Job Center – Headquarters 202-724-2337
American Job Center – Northeast 202-576-3092
American Job Center – Northwest 202-442-4577
American Job Center – Southeast 202-741-7747
General Tax Information 202-698-7550
UI Tax Division – Registration 202-698-7550
UI Tax Division – Accounting 202-698-7550
Wage and Hour Division 202-671-1880
Worker Compensation Division 202-671-1000
E verify (Worker Authorization) 800-791-1427
District of Columbia New Hire Reporting 202-671-1880
Office of Tax and Revenue Business Registration 202-727-4829
Summer Youth Employment Program 202-698-3492
DOES Equal Employment Opportunity Program 202-671-0891
Office of Administrative Hearings 202-442-9094
DC Chamber of Commerce 202-347.7201

Information to have when you call

  • Government-issued photo ID
  • Social security number
  • Name, address, phone number, and dates of employment of your most recent employer
  • Military DD214 form if you are a veteran
  • Alien Registration Number if you are not a US Citizen
  • Information about any pensions you are receiving
  • Information about severance pay, if applicable
  • Your Standard Form 8 or Standard Form 50 if you are a former federal employee

Be prepared for long wait times. Remain patient and you will get through to someone who can help you. Even though it can be frustrating to wait on hold, please remain courteous to DOES staff members.

Visit a DC American Job Center in person

Washington, DC’s Department of Employment Services (DOES) offers many helpful services and programs through its American Job Centers. These centers make it easy for people to find job-related assistance in one convenient location.

Available resources for DC residents include career counseling, help with resumes, direct job placement, and training opportunities. You can also get information about the job market and unemployment compensation.

  • Assistance with job searching and work search activities
  • Workshops covering topics such as resume building, job search strategies, interviewing skills, computer basics, and navigating DCNetworks
  • Information about apprenticeships
  • Assistance with your DC unemployment application
  • General information about DC Unemployment Insurance
  • Counseling for career development
  • Access the online DC unemployment calculator
  • Information about labor market trends and various career paths
  • Referrals to education and job training programs
  • Assistance in connecting with employers who have job openings
  • Access to office equipment such as computers, fax machines, telephones, and copiers

Job centers are located throughout the District and are supported by the government and the US Department of Labor. If you need help finding a job or want to improve your career prospects, visit an American Job Center near you.

  1. Hello, my name is Behailu Shanko. I live in MD, but I used to work in DC. Because of the pandemic, I was terminated from a job, and I started receiving Unemployment benefit. My benefit stopped on 03/06/2021 for no reason. I was harshly hit financially and psychologically. No one gives a positive response from the DOES office. I used to call and email weekly or bi-weekly. I sent all the necessary information they requested, but there is no update. On the website, it says I am monetarily ineligible. I know many people with the same status, who still receive the benefit.
    DOES did an unfair decision regarding my unemployment benefit.

  2. When will offices be open to the public. I’m not getting to first base via phone and have not received benefits since March 27. Also, exactly how many recipients/claimant remain under review? And when is this category/list expected to be caught up?

  3. I applied October 7 and am eligible. I was told there is a code 55 on my claim which means I am already receiving benefits which I am not. I am still waiting for my initial payment to begin. I was contacted by a claims specialist and told her I wanted to combine my wages from Virginia 2 years ago as I was a Contractor in DC for the last year and contract ended due to covid with the Federal Gov. It is almost January and I have yet to receive anything from my claim. What should I do?

    • Precilla,

      Contract workers are generally not eligible. Please see if you can visit an office in the vicinity for clarification.

  4. As of Oct 2017, below is the exact navigation to reach a customer representative

    Call the phone number listed above, then follow the below commands

    1, 1, 2, 2, 4, 5, 9, (do not press 2 after this) simply hold

    Next, they ask if you prefer to hold press 2. Now you press 2

    Best of luck!

  5. I was living in Maryland and receiving unemployment benefits there, but now living in dc. Do I continue to file in Maryland because I worked in Maryland when I lost my job.

    • It has been 16 weeks since I filed and was approved for unemployment. However, due to two issues codes on my account, my payments have been on hold until they are resolved. Despite my countless efforts to contact unemployment officers, make appointments, and also submitting all my information to a claims officer, I still have been waiting. I cannot wait any longer. I believe 16 weeks is more than enough time to wait to receive my unemployment benefits.

      Please give me real help and solve this issue. I am getting extremely frustrated and desperate dealing with the lack of help from the DC Office of Unemployment.

    • You can consider the option of a transfer.

      Please call the Claims Center of the Unemployment Office in Maryland for further instructions.

  6. Regarding my last two pay checks which did not appear on my bank card during the last two weeks ending my summer job. Your office sent me to CitiBank and the bank sent me back to your office. There was nothing posted to my account (according to Citi Bank). Thank you.

      • Jenica,

        The Unemployment Office might be inundated with pending requests. Please visit the website to find the answers.

    • Please note this is a private forum and therefore, we do not have access to your claim.

      Call the Claims Center on the phone numbers provided immediately for an update on payment.

      • I have been filing my unemployment claim and I don’t know why I don’t receive the money, my name is odion-davis omolara every week I filled but never get paid

        • Omolara,

          Please call the Claims Center right away to find out the status. Make sure to keep chasing at regular intervals until weekly payments normalize.

  7. I received notice of determination by claims examiner that I am eligible for benefits, effective from the day I filed my claim, but my online account still says that benefits are not payable. I can’t get through on the phone line. What should I do?

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