Federal employees who have been deemed non-essential are entering their third week of not working due to the government shutdown.
We wanted to Verify: Can federal workers file for unemployment?
KGW News spoke with Dave Gerstenfeld with the state's Unemployment Insurance Division to see exactly who can apply and what the stipulations are.
Which federal workers can file for unemployment?
First of all, you can only apply for unemployment if you are furloughed and not receiving a paycheck. Federal employees who are essential and have been working during the shutdown are not eligible.
"People that can receive benefits are people that are either not being allowed to work or are being required to work less than full time and are not receiving a paycheck," Gerstenfeld said.
Gerstenfeld recommends federal workers apply for unemployment online, then call their office for further assistance or questions.
You'll need to prove your employment with the government, and provide your earnings.
How long will it take until I get money?
The entire process should take about 21 days from the day you file your claim, but Gerstenfeld says because of the nature of the shutdown, it could take longer.
"It is a little slow for us getting information from the federal government right now," he explained. "Whenever someone files for benefit claims, we have to get some information from the employer, and because some of the federal agencies have furloughed most of their employees, it’s taking more time to get some of that information from the government because of the shutdown."
What kind of jobs should I apply for?
If you are filing for unemployment, you should be applying for temporary jobs that you could reasonably do if you were to be hired.
If you are granted unemployment, you will not receive money for the first week you filed.
You need to be updating the unemployment office at the end of every week, with information about jobs you have applied to, to ensure you're proving you're looking for work.
If you do get another job, you should keep communicating with your supervisors at the federal government.
"Part of the returning to work is looking for interim work until they’re allowed to go back to their federal job, and then staying in touch with your federal employer and find out when they’re being recalled," Gerstenfeld said. "The way it works depends on the particular agency they work for."
Gerstenfeld said 950 federal employees have filed for unemployment benefits in Oregon, but some may have just started the process just in case the shutdown goes longer than they expected.
We can Verify: Federal workers who are furloughed and not receiving a paycheck can file for unemployment.