When a person loses a job, it is always stressful and uncertain. In such cases, there is state support, so you can register at the employment center, receive assistance and look for a new job with the assistance of the state.
How long you can be registered at the labor exchange (popular name for the employment center, – Ed. ) read in our article.
Who can obtain the status of unemployed?
Lawyer of the Belotserkovskaya public organization Legal Unity Alexandra Shcherbina explained how the rules for calculating unemployment benefits have changed, who can obtain unemployed status and how to do it.
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According to According to the Law of Ukraine On Employment of the Population, the right to receive the status of unemployed is granted to Ukrainians aged 15 to 70 years if they do not have a permanent job and stable income. These may be:
- people who have lost their jobs and do not receive a pension or other payments;
- persons with disabilities who have not yet reached retirement age but receive state assistance;
- teenagers who were laid off due to downsizing or reorganization of the enterprise;
- single mothers or fathers caring for a child with a disability
How to get unemployed status
There are two ways:
- Offline. To do this, you need to contact the employment center at your place of residence with documents – passport, code, documents on work, education and military registration. For some categories, additional certificates are added – for example, for IDPs, people with disabilities or participants in military operations.
- Online — via the State Employment Service portal or the Diia app. To do this, you need to log in, fill out a form, select an employment center, add account details (IBAN) and submit an application. There are two options for submitting — standard (if you have all the documents) and simplified (if you are an IDP or live in a war zone).
The status of the application can be tracked through your personal account. After submitting, you will be told when to go to the employment center or informed about further actions electronically.
When do they start paying and how much?
Payments begin on the first day after a person is officially registered as unemployed.
The maximum amount of assistance is currently 8 thousand UAH (the minimum wage as of January 1, 2025).
Minimum:
- 1,500 UAH – for those who have no work experience at all or were fired for violating labor discipline;
- 3,600 UAH – if a person worked less than seven months or is an IDP without confirmed documents.
If a person has more than seven months of insurance experience, the amount of unemployment benefit depends on his average salary before dismissal.
So, with up to two years of experience, 50% of the average salary is paid, but if the experience is from two to six years, then the payments will be 55%, but with experience from six to 12 years – 60%, in the case of more than 18 years – 70%.
How is the duration of unemployment benefits determined?
The length of time that most people remain registered as unemployed depends on how many years they have officially worked and paid insurance contributions.
How long can you stand at the employment center:
- If the total insurance period is less than three years, assistance will be paid for no more than 180 calendar days.
- Those with three to six years of work experience can count on support for 210 days.
- If you have between six and 12 years of insurance experience, assistance will be provided for 240 days.
- If a person worked from 12 to 18 years, he will receive assistance for 270 days.
- For work experience from 18 to 24 years, the payment period will be 300 days.
- Those who have 24 to 30 years of insurance experience will receive assistance for 330 days.
- Citizens with more than 30 years of work experience can count on the maximum possible duration of payments – up to 360 calendar days.
Due to martial law in Ukraine, the unemployment benefit payment period has been shortened. Now, most people can receive such assistance for no more than 90 calendar days.
The only exception is for those who have one year left before retirement – for them, payments can last up to 360 days.
The maximum amount of assistance during martial law does not exceed the minimum wage established on January 1 of the current year. As of January 1, 2025, this is 8 thousand UAH.
How long can you be registered at the labor exchange and when do payments stop?
Assistance will cease to be paid if:
- the payment period has expired;
- the person was removed from the register as unemployed (for example, due to employment);
- the person began to receive maternity benefits.
If the person then registers again, the remaining unpaid funds can be restored (but only within two years from the date of the previous registration).
When can you be denied unemployment status?
The employment center may refuse if:
- missing documents;
- it has been established that the person is already working or receiving income;
- the person refused the job offer;
- discovered that he had previously received assistance illegally – for example, by concealing the fact of employment or forging documents.
In such cases, the status of unemployed is not granted, but the refusal can be appealed.
