Unemployment Insurance: Texas

Federal law and guidance on this subject should be reviewed together with this section.

Authors: Shafeeqa W. Giarratani and Kimberly King, Norton Rose Fulbright

Summary

• Most Texas employers are subject to the Texas Unemployment Compensation Act. See Employer Coverage.
• To be eligible for unemployment benefits, a claimant must meet specific requirements. See Employee Eligibility.
• Under certain circumstances, workers may not qualify for unemployment benefits. See Disqualification From Benefits.
• Unemployment benefits generally last for up to 26 weeks. See Benefits.
• An employer who receives notice of an unemployment benefits claim must promptly notify the Texas Workforce Commission of any facts that may adversely affect the claimant's right to benefits or affect a charge to the employer's unemployment insurance account. See Filing Claims.
• Employers must comply with certain notice, posting and recordkeeping requirements. See Notice and Posting Requirements; Recordkeeping Requirements.
• Texas offers the Shared Work Program, a voluntary program to help employers retain a group of employees who would otherwise have been laid off. See Shared Work Program.