Unemployment insurance is a program that provides income for workers who lose their jobs through no fault of their own. State agencies operate under federal guidelines in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Labor to provide benefits. If you lose your job and meet your state's income eligibility requirements, you may have reason to file for unemployment for a variety of causes.
Layoffs
You have reason for filing unemployment if you are laid off. This is a valid reason even if the layoff is temporary and you expect to return to your job at some future date. In many states you may also qualify if your income is substantially reduced due to a cut in your work hours. If you have been working at a temporary job you may have reason to file for unemployment. In most cases this applies whenever you are unemployed because there is no more work to do or you've reached the end of a specified period of employment.
Termination
If you are fired by your employer, you may still have reason to file for unemployment. Whether you qualify depends on whether the firing was "for cause" under your state's rules. If your employer fires you for a series of minor infractions, due to a deficit of required job skills or as a result of errors that occurred despite a good faith effort, the firing does not disqualify you in most states. However, termination due to "misconduct" is not considered reason to award unemployment benefits. Misconduct includes chronic tardiness or absenteeism, dishonesty and extreme insubordination. Actions such as being intoxicated on the job or sexually harassing coworkers are also considered misconduct.
Resignation
You may have reason for filing unemployment even if you quit your job. State regulations vary, but in most states the basic standard is that if you risk harm or injury by staying, you have cause. Resigning due to intolerable working conditions, because of abuses that include sexual harassment or because you were told to quit or be fired, is considered sufficient cause. Some states also consider leaving for some other reasons to be "for cause." For example, this may apply if you quit to care for a sick family member or because your spouse had to relocate to another city.
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