Kentucky Unemployment
What you need to know to claim unemployment benefits in Kentucky, read on the agency's own website. The agency is Office of Unemployment Insurance (OUI).
the most a week, for up to 16 weeks
verifiable work search activities a week
File a claim by phone and claims help
How to file for unemployment in Kentucky
File a claim online in the Unemployment Insurance Claims Portal, signing in with ID.me; every claimant must pass ID.me identity verification. The call center can guide you through filing a claim.
From the agency's own page, read October 14, 2026.
After you apply: claiming each week
Request benefits every two weeks, claiming two weeks at a time. You can make your first request 13 days after you file, then every other Sunday; requests can be made Sunday through Friday. Most claimants must request online in the claims portal (Sundays 10:00 AM to 9:00 PM, weekdays 7:00 AM to 7:00 PM ET). Claimants exempt from work search may request by phone at 502-564-2900. If your employer filed for you (E-Claims), you request weekly.
From the agency's own page, read October 14, 2026.
How much unemployment pays in Kentucky, and for how long
The most you can get is $746 a week and the least is $39. Benefits last up to 16 weeks.
For new claims filed on or after July 5, 2026, weekly benefits are between $39 and $746, for a maximum of 16 weeks (up to 24 weeks in an approved training program). The number of weeks depends on Kentucky's average unemployment rate.
From the agency's own page, read October 14, 2026.
How many jobs you must apply for each week
Kentucky asks for 5 verifiable work search activities a week. Three (3) of the five (5) must be submitting a job application or interviewing. Not required for members of a trade union that finds work for you, students in approved training, people with a definite recall date within 16 weeks of the claim, people on temporary leave, or E-Claim or workshare claims.
Keep all documentation yourself; if your claim is audited you must provide it for every week audited.
From the agency's own page, read October 14, 2026.
Our free job application tracker keeps the list: where you applied, when, and what came of it.
Kentucky unemployment phone number
Call (502) 564-2900 (file a claim by phone and claims help), 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Eastern, Monday to Friday. Every line and what it is for.
Where this comes from
Everything on this page was read on the agency's own website, and each part links the page it came from and the day we read it. Rules and amounts change, so check that page before you rely on a figure. Jobareer is not part of any state agency and cannot see or change your claim.
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