Learn if you can collect unemployment when your internship is over.

1. Filing for and Collecting
Unemployment After an Internship
By Amy Decker

2. The eligibility for a person to be able to file for and collect
unemployment depends upon a couple of major factors. The first
is if the internship was paid or unpaid. For paid internships they
are generally treated as seasonal jobs in the eyes of the state
unemployment office.
As long as a person is regularly paid as compensation for their
work, then the work either ran out or the assignment ended as
scheduled, the person should be eligible to file for
unemployment benefits.
Many government employees are seasonal workers and are only
employed during peak times of the year when their services are
needed the most. The rest of the year they are generally eligible
for unemployment compensation so long as they meet their
particular state's requirements for working.
Some states require a certain number of hours to be logged as an
employee with that particular company before they are eligible
to file and claim unemployment while other states do not care
about the time spent with an employer and rather look at a
history of the employee's work.
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3. Internships are unique in that there is usually a time frame and
pay expectation attached to the project when the intern agrees to
the work with the company. While this seems black and white,
either an intern is paid and eligible for unemployment or unpaid
and not eligible, intern pay may not be regular like a salary or
hourly job is.
If the intern is paid a set amount upfront for their expected
services, or paid after the project has completed, the
unemployment process may be complicated due to these factors.
Determining the specific state's unemployment laws would be
the most beneficial in this situation.
Having all the facts gathered on the particular internship that a
person is pursuing, as well as a good understanding of the state's
unemployment policies and procedures is a the best way to
ensure understanding of the process once the internship
concludes.
Internships that provide a stipend for daily expenses, such as
room and board or a daily allotment for food may or may not be
enough to become eligible for unemployment.
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4. Again, in this situation, it is best to locate or call an
unemployment office and ask questions relating to a particular
situation. Because each state is different, do not assume that
living in one state, but taking an internship in another state will
be covered under the home state's unemployment.
Often times crossing state lines can hinder and complicate the
process, and for those that are depending on this money after
their internship ends it is especially important to fully
understand the process they must go through to ensure the
delivery of the benefits they may be entitled to.
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