Unemployment compensation in Alabama is managed by Alabama Department of Industrial Relations, the office that regulates unemployment and workers compensation benefits in the state of Alabama. The office can be found online at www.dir.alabama.gov.

To qualify for unemployment insurance benefits in the state of Alabama, you must:

1. Be unemployed through no fault of your own
2. Have earned enough money by working in the state of Alabama as an employee during a base period to qualify for a claim; this is determined by your wages during the base period
3. Be available and able to work
4. Be actively searching for employment

Before you apply for unemployment compensation in Alabama, you should assemble all the necessary information you will need to file the claim. This includes:

1. Your Social Security number
2. A separation letter or notice,with the reason for your job loss, if your former employer issued one
3. Information on all former employers for the previous 18 months, including:

Names and addresses
Dates employed
Proof of U.S. citizenship or legal immigration status

You can sign up for unemployment in Alabama either online or by telephone at 1-866-234-5382). You should apply as soon as you are laid off, as eligibility for benefits begins when you apply and is not retroactive to the date you were laid off.