Oklahoma Unemployment FAQ Sheet

1. What Is Unemployment Insurance?
2. What Are Unemployment Insurance Benefits?
3. How to Qualify for Unemployment Benefits
4. When to Apply for Unemployment
5. How to Apply for Oklahoma Unemployment Insurance
6. How Unemployment Insurance Benefit Amounts Are Calculated
7. I Just Applied for Unemployment Insurance. Now What?
8. What Happens After You Are Approved for Unemployment Benefits?
9. How to Appeal a Denial of Unemployment Benefits
10. Need More Help?
11. View or Download Our Free Guide

What Is Unemployment Insurance?

Unemployment Insurance is a benefit program designed to replace part of the income of recently unemployed or underemployed workers. Unemployment Insurance is available to workers who are out of work through no fault of their own.

Learn more about Unemployment Insurance in Oklahoma here.

What Are Unemployment Insurance Benefits?

Unemployment Insurance Benefits are weekly payments given to eligible workers who apply to and are accepted into the program. These payments are typically provided via direct deposits to the beneficiary’s bank account.

To learn more about Unemployment Benefits, visit the Oklahoma Employment Security Commission FAQ page.

How to Qualify for Unemployment Benefits

To qualify for Unemployment Insurance in Oklahoma, you must:

• Have lost your job due to no fault of your own.
• Be able to work.
• Be actively seeking work.
• Meet Oklahoma’s monetary and personal eligibility requirements.

You must also register on the Oklahoma job search page OKJobMatch to maintain your eligibility for benefits after your initial claim.

When to Apply for Unemployment

Apply for benefits online here during the week you are seeking payment, when your hours have been reduced or when you are no longer employed. Do NOT wait until the week is over.

Learn more information on how to apply for Unemployment Insurance here.

How to Apply for Oklahoma Unemployment Insurance

To apply for Unemployment Insurance in Oklahoma, complete the following three steps:

• Gather the documentation related to your previous employment and information you will need for the application. 

Learn what documents and information you need in the FAQs portion at the bottom of the Oklahoma Employment Security Commission’s (OESC) homepage here.

• Choose how you are going to apply, whether online or in person. 

To apply for Unemployment Insurance online, click here to access Oklahoma’s Unemployment claim portal.

To apply for Unemployment Insurance in person, click here to find your nearest Oklahoma Unemployment Office location.

*Standard office hours run from 8am to 5pm, Monday through Friday.

• Submit your application, which is also known as filing a claim. 

If you have questions about the application process or require further assistance, contact the Oklahoma Employment Security Commission at:

• Administrative offices: (405) 557-7100
• Toll Free: (888) 980-9675
• TDD: (800) 722-0353

Phone services are available from 8am to 5pm, Monday through Friday.

How Unemployment Insurance Benefits Are Calculated

Weekly Unemployment Benefits are calculated by using a claimant’s base period. In Oklahoma, the highest earnings amount in a claimant’s base period is divided by 23. To determine the amount you will receive each week, the Oklahoma Employment Security Commission takes the highest-earning quarter in the applicant’s base period and divides that amount by 23.That amount becomes the weekly benefit a claimant receives.

The minimum weekly benefit amount in Oklahoma is $16. The maximum weekly benefit amount is $539.

For answers to commonly asked questions on Unemployment Insurance, click here.

I Just Applied for Unemployment Insurance. Now What?

1.     Report Your Waiting Week

The week after you file your unemployment claim is called the Waiting Week. During the Waiting Week, you must file a Weekly Certification Application through the claimant portal here and the Unemployment Office will make sure you are still unemployed or underemployed, and meet all other eligibility requirements.

If approved, you should begin receiving your weekly benefits the following week. You are not paid for the Waiting Week, but you do receive a Waiting Week credit.

Learn more about the Waiting Week here by scrolling to "What is a waiting period?" Learn more about the Weekly Certification Application here.

2. Start Looking for Work

Keep track of your work-search contacts. You are required to make at least two contacts per week to receive payments and waiting week credit. You can do this by signing up for OKJobMatch here.

3.     Discuss Possible Issues

If you were discharged or quit your last job, expect a call (or email if that is your preferred contact method) to determine if you are eligible for unemployment insurance.

You can learn more about what to expect after applying here.

What Happens After You Are Approved for Unemployment Benefits?

You must file a Weekly Certification Application every week you are receiving Unemployment Benefits until you are employed again. This weekly claim is like a follow-up application that certifies your continued eligibility for the program, and proves you are actively applying for new jobs.

Learn more about the Weekly Certification Application here. File your Weekly Certification Applications here.

It’s important to remember that you will stop receiving Unemployment Benefits and your Unemployment Claim will be canceled if you have not filed Weekly Certifications for two or more consecutive weeks.

How to Appeal an Unemployment Insurance Denial

If your unemployment claim has been denied, you can file an appeal by email, by phone, by fax or in person. The contact information for filing an appeal will be available in your determination letter from the Oklahoma Employment Security Commission.

When appealing your unemployment determination, include the following in your appeal request:

• Your name
• Your Social Security Number (SSN)
• Your phone number
• The date of the determination
• The section of unemployment law that you are appealing
• An explanation of why you disagree with the determination you received

If you have any more questions about the appeals process, contact the OESC’s administrative offices at (405) 557-7100.

Continue filing weekly claims while you wait for your appeal to be processed. If you do not file for the weeks while you are waiting for a response on your appeal, you will not receive compensation for them even if your appeal is approved.

Learn more about appeals and other topics related to Unemployment Insurance in Oklahoma by reviewing the “New Claims” FAQs on the OESC website here.

Need More Help?

For help with an Unemployment Insurance application, or for any further questions about your Unemployment Insurance claim, call the Oklahoma Employment Security Commission at (405) 525-1500 or at (800) 555-1554 toll free.

You can also visit or call a local Unemployment Office for further assistance. Find your nearest Unemployment Office location and contact information here.

The Employment Security Commission’s customer service line and local offices are available Monday through Friday from 8:00 am until 5:00 pm, except for the observed holidays here.

View or Download Our Free Guide

While we are not affiliated with the government in any way, our private company engaged writers to research the Unemployment Insurance program and compiled a guide and these answers to frequently asked questions. Our goal is to help you get the benefits that you need by providing useful information on the process.

Our free Unemployment Insurance Guide is filled with helpful information about how to apply, program eligibility requirements and how to get in touch with local offices. You can view or download our free guide here.