I have to tip my hat to the fine fellow at the Pennsylvania unemployment office (Cliff, if memory serves me correctly) who apprised me of the following information as he was filing my claim for unemployment benefits:

Says here you worked in New York and New Jersey during the period, as well as PA? You know you should try to file with Jersey instead – I’m pretty sure you’ll get more money.

My instinctive response to Cliff’s insider info was, naturally, to peer around my house and ensure the IRS wasn’t watching me as I whispered to him to explain further.

What my dear friend at the unemployment office proceeded to share with me was that individuals who have worked (and contributed part of their wages to unemployment) in multiple states during their most recent 18 months of employment have the option to choose which state they receive unemployment from. For simple comparison, let’s take the maximum amount that the three states I researched will pay in unemployment:

• New York: $412/wk
• Pennsylvania: $558/wk
• New Jersey: $584/wk

Assuming I made enough when I was working to earn the maximum in benefits, it’s a no-brainer that I should be taking unemployment from New Jersey instead of Pennsylvania… as for NY, well I just feel bad for those people.

It doesn’t matter whether you claim residence in the state you choose, or if you ever have plans to work there again – you contributed to that state’s unemployment program, so it’s your right to take from it. Just keep in mind that not every state boasts online claim filing programs, so having to waste hours of your time on the phone – or even worse, having to drive to a physical office – isn’t worth a couple of extra dollars a week. Make sure you know how each state operates in that respect.

Tags: state laws, unemployment, unemployment benefits