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There are many complex areas within the Unemployment Insurance Program. We have provided links to information that we hope will help you better understand the program and possibly answer some of the questions you may have relating to your Unemployment Insurance claim.
The Unemployment Insurance Program in Kentucky is administered by the Department for Employment Services (DES). The program is designed to provide temporary benefits to workers who lose their jobs due to no fault of their own and are able and available to accept employment if offered. What this means is that if you have been laid-off either temporarily or permanently or believe you have been wrongfully terminated, you may be able to receive benefits based on certain eligibility requirements. The amount of benefits you may draw is based on the wages you have been paid in the past, regardless of who was your employer. If you have been permanently laid off or wish to seek other employment, DES can also assist you in this effort with a wide variety of services that are provided to job seekers.
To file a claim for benefits, simply visit one of the
local DES Offices that provides Unemployment Insurance
services. A listing of offices in the
Greater Louisville area that provides Unemployment Insurance can be found at
"Filing a Claim in
the Greater Louisville Area" or on
the office
locations listing. Once you have filed a claim,
an eligibility determination will be made and mailed to you. If you or your
previous
employer believe this determination is in error, an
appeal
may be filed. Once the claim is established, obtaining
payments from it is now simplified by the Interactive
Voice Response system (often referred to as the
IVR).
Further improvements to the program are currently in progress as part of the
Kentucky Electronic Workplace for Employment
Services (KEWES) initiative.
When filing your claim you will need to bring identification, preferably a picture ID. You will also need to know your former employer’s address and the dates you worked for each employer. Mondays and Tuesdays are extremely high volume days for filing unemployment insurance claims. You may find it more convenient or preferable to wait until later in the week to file your claim. Once you have filed your initial claim, you may use the Interactive Voice Response System to claim benefits.
Unemployment Insurance claims may be filed at the locations listed below.
Shepherdsville Square
Room 208
Shepherdsville, KY 40165
Monday and Tuesday from
8:00am to 6:00pm, Wednesday
and Thursday from 8:00am to 4:30pm and on Friday from 8:00am to
12:00pm.
WorkForce Development Center
600 West
Cedar St.
Louisville, KY 40202 (7:30am - 4:30pm)
Monday and Tuesday from 7:30am to 6:00pm, Wednesday
and Thursday from 7:30am to 4:30pm and on Friday from 7:30am to
12:00pm.
6201-G Preston Highway
Louisville, KY 40219
Monday and Tuesday from
8:00am to 6:00pm, Wednesday
and Thursday from 8:00am to 4:30pm and on Friday from 8:00am to
12:00pm.
Shelby County Office
27 Village Plaza
Shelbyville, KY 40065
Monday and Tuesday from
8:00am to 6:00pm, Wednesday
and Thursday from 8:00am to 4:30pm and on Friday from 8:00am to
12:00pm.
If the loss of your job was due primarily to increased imports you may also be eligible
for benefits or training
under the Trade Adjustment Assistance Act
or the North American Free Trade
Agreement. In times of very high unemployment rates,
when the national unemployment reaches 10% or above, extended benefits may also be
available to individuals who
use up all of their regular unemployment insurance benefits without locating a job.
In Kentucky you may contact Kathy Gullett or Melissa Wiley, TAA,
NAFTA/TAA Coordinator, Department for Employment
Services at the following
address.
Department for Employment Services.
2nd Floor West, CHR Building
275 East Main Street
Frankfort, KY 40621
Phone: (502) 564-2420
FAX: (502) 564-7799
If you are a dislocated worker you will find useful information at the following web sites:
The Unemployment Insurance Program is complex and may be difficult to understand,
therefore, answers to many common questions are available and are grouped by the
most frequently asked employer questions
and the most
frequently asked worker
questions.
The Interactive Voice Response System offers the public a quick and easy way to make a claim as well as to check the payment status of their claim. The toll free telephone number for the Interactive Voice Response System, often referred to as the IVR, is 1-866-291-2926. Every 6-10 weeks the system will advise you that it is time to come into the office for a periodic interview. When this occurs please bring the claim card that you received with your last Unemployment Insurance check.
Listed in the chart below are the most current labor force estimates issued for the Kentuckiana Regional Planning and Development Agency Area Development District (KIPDA).
|
|
Civilian |
Employed |
Unemployed |
Unemployment |
|
|
January |
February |
||||
| KIPDA | 470976 | 445168 | 25808 | 5.4% | 5.5% |
| BULLITT | 34628 | 32478 | 2150 | 5.9% | 6.2% |
| HENRY | 6851 | 6494 | 357 | 4.9% | 5.2% |
| JEFFERSON | 375944 | 354842 | 21102 | 5.5% | 5.6% |
| OLDHAM | 25509 | 24604 | 905 | 3.5% | 3.5% |
| SHELBY | 18711 | 17949 | 762 | 4.0% | 4.1% |
| SPENCER | 5945 | 5637 | 308 | 4.9% | 5.2% |
| TRIMBLE | 3388 | 3164 | 224 | 6.4% | 6.6% |