New Hampshire unemployment eligibility comes down to three tests: you earned enough in the base period, you lost the job through no fault of your own, and you are able to work, available for work and looking for it every week.
This guide gives the New Hampshire unemployment eligibility rules as the state writes them — the earnings test, what counts as misconduct, what counts as good cause to quit, and how many job contacts a week — so you know before you file whether a denial is likely and why. Verified against New Hampshire sources as of October 2026.
New Hampshire Unemployment Eligibility at a Glance
| Earnings test | Most claimants need at least 2800 in base-period earnings, with at least 1400 earned in each of 2 calendar quarters (RSA 282-A:25, I). |
| Base period | The standard base period is the first 4 of the last 5 completed calendar quarters before the claim (RSA 282-A:2, I). |
| Able and available | The state generally requires you to be ready, willing and able to accept suitable full-time or part-time work, on all shifts and hours where there is a market… |
| Fired | You are disqualified if the agency finds you were fired for “misconduct connected with [your] work” (RSA 282-A:32, I(b)). |
| Quit | Quitting without good cause is disqualifying, and NHES rules treat a quit for a reason not attributable to the employer as a quit without good cause (RSA… |
| Part-time | Workers with reduced hours may claim partial benefits in any week of less than full-time work when their pay is below… |
In This New Hampshire Unemployment Eligibility Guide:
The Three New Hampshire Unemployment Eligibility Tests
Every New Hampshire unemployment eligibility decision applies the same three tests, in this order.
Earnings: Most claimants need at least 2800 in base-period earnings, with at least 1400 earned in each of 2 calendar quarters (RSA 282-A:25, I). The benefit table in that section starts at 2800 in earnings (weekly benefit 32) and tops out at 41500 or more (maximum weekly benefit 427, maximum total 11102). This table is fixed in the statute and has been in place since July 1, 2007.
It does not reset each January or July.
Separation: you were laid off, let go without disqualifying misconduct, or quit with good cause as New Hampshire defines it. This is the test most denials turn on.
Able, available and searching: The state generally requires you to be ready, willing and able to accept suitable full-time or part-time work, on all shifts and hours where there is a market for your skills. You must also look for work the way a reasonably prudent job seeker would (RSA 282-A:31, I(c)-(d)).
Limiting yourself to part-time work is allowed only if your claim is based on wages from part-time work (RSA 282-A:31, I(d)(4)).
New Hampshire Unemployment Eligibility Rules at a Glance
The short version of every New Hampshire unemployment eligibility rule is below; each one is explained in full in the sections that follow.
| Monetary (earnings) test | Most claimants need at least 2800 in base-period earnings, with at least 1400 earned in each of 2 calendar quarters (RSA 282-A:25, I). |
| Base period | The standard base period is the first 4 of the last 5 completed calendar quarters before the claim (RSA 282-A:2, I). |
| Able and available | The state generally requires you to be ready, willing and able to accept suitable full-time or part-time work, on all shifts and hours where there is a market for your skills. |
| Laid off | A layoff or reduction in force is not a disqualification under RSA 282-A:32, so most laid-off workers may qualify if they meet the earnings test. |
| Fired | You are disqualified if the agency finds you were fired for “misconduct connected with [your] work” (RSA 282-A:32, I(b)). The statute does not define misconduct. |
| Quit | Quitting without good cause is disqualifying, and NHES rules treat a quit for a reason not attributable to the employer as a quit without good cause (RSA 282-A:32, I(a); Emp 503.01). |
| Part-time or reduced hours | Workers with reduced hours may claim partial benefits in any week of less than full-time work when their pay is below their weekly benefit amount (RSA 282-A:14, II; 282-A:26). |
| In school or training | Attending school can affect eligibility if it limits your availability for work (RSA 282-A:31, I(c)). |
| Disqualification length | After a quit without good cause or a firing for misconduct, the disqualification lasts until you earn wages in each of 5 weeks of covered work. |
New Hampshire Unemployment Eligibility If You Were Fired
You are disqualified if the agency finds you were fired for “misconduct connected with [your] work” (RSA 282-A:32, I(b)). The statute does not define misconduct. The NH Supreme Court generally treats it as either repeated careless or negligent acts, or one deliberate violation of a reasonable company rule (Appeal of Riendeau).
Isolated or accidental mistakes, and ordinary poor performance, generally are not misconduct, so many workers fired for performance may still qualify. Confirm with NHES.
New Hampshire Unemployment Eligibility If You Quit
Quitting without good cause is disqualifying, and NHES rules treat a quit for a reason not attributable to the employer as a quit without good cause (RSA 282-A:32, I(a); Emp 503.01).
The statute protects quits to take better work starting soon, to escape domestic abuse, because a physician says pregnancy or a non-work illness or injury keeps you from doing the job, to follow a spouse who relocated for work, or to care for an ill or disabled immediate family member. Quits for personal preference, or for any other reason the employer did not cause, are generally rejected.
How long a disqualification lasts. After a quit without good cause or a firing for misconduct, the disqualification lasts until you earn wages in each of 5 weeks of covered work. Each of those weeks must pay at least 20 percent more than your weekly benefit amount (RSA 282-A:32, I).
The 5 weeks are counted from your last day of work, and no waiting week can be served during the disqualification.
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New Hampshire Unemployment Eligibility If You Were Laid Off
A layoff or reduction in force is not a disqualification under RSA 282-A:32, so most laid-off workers may qualify if they meet the earnings test. If you reasonably expect a recall in 4 to 26 weeks, you may need to be available for and seek temporary work in the meantime (RSA 282-A:31, I(d)(2)).
A definite return date within 11 weeks of your last day may exempt you from the work search (RSA 282-A:31, I(d)(5)).
New Hampshire Unemployment Eligibility for Part-Time, Gig and Self-Employed Workers
Part-time or reduced hours. Workers with reduced hours may claim partial benefits in any week of less than full-time work when their pay is below their weekly benefit amount (RSA 282-A:14, II; 282-A:26). Earnings above 30 percent of the weekly benefit amount are deducted from the benefit (RSA 282-A:14, III(a)).
A claimant seeking only part-time work counts as partially unemployed only in weeks with fewer than 20 hours worked (RSA 282-A:14, I(b)).
Self-employed, gig and 1099 work. Self-employed and 1099 workers generally cannot claim regular benefits because no employer paid unemployment tax on their earnings.
In school or training. Attending school can affect eligibility if it limits your availability for work (RSA 282-A:31, I(c)). The availability requirement is waived for weeks you are enrolled, in good standing and attending a vocational training program approved by the NHES commissioner (RSA 282-A:31, III). School employees with reasonable assurance of returning are generally not paid between terms or during breaks (RSA 282-A:31, II).
New Hampshire Unemployment Eligibility Work Search Rules
Make the required number of job contacts each week, keep a log with dates and employer names, and report them on the weekly claim — a missed week of work search is a lost week of benefits.
Reading Your New Hampshire Determination Letters
Every New Hampshire unemployment eligibility decision arrives as a letter, and the letter tells you what was decided and how long you have to appeal it. You will receive a monetary determination (your wages and weekly amount) and, if there is a separation issue, an eligibility determination. Check the wages listed, the employers listed and the appeal deadline on each one.
Other New Hampshire Unemployment Eligibility Rules to Know
New Hampshire requires an unpaid one-week waiting period, and serving it does not reduce your maximum benefit (RSA 282-A:31, I(h)-(i)). Wages used to qualify under the alternate base period cannot be reused for a later claim (RSA 282-A:2, II(a)). Refusing suitable work without good cause, or not applying for it when directed, triggers the same 5-week re-earn disqualification (RSA 282-A:32, I(d)).
Next step: if you qualify, file in the first week after your last day — our New Hampshire application guide lists the documents and the steps. If you were denied, the appeal guide has the deadline.
New Hampshire — the bottom line
- New hampshire unemployment eligibility turns on three tests: enough wages, a qualifying separation, and being able, available and searching.
- Most New Hampshire unemployment eligibility denials are about the separation reason — fired for misconduct or quit without good cause, as the state defines both.
- A disqualification is not always permanent; the New Hampshire unemployment eligibility rules let you requalify after new covered work.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I get unemployment in New Hampshire if I was fired?
Under the New Hampshire unemployment eligibility rules, usually yes if you were let go for performance, attendance you could not control, or not being a fit — no if the state finds disqualifying misconduct. You are disqualified if the agency finds you were fired for “misconduct connected with [your] work” (RSA 282-A:32, I(b)). The statute does not define misconduct.
Can I get unemployment in New Hampshire if I quit?
Only with good cause as the state defines it. Quitting without good cause is disqualifying, and NHES rules treat a quit for a reason not attributable to the employer as a quit without good cause (RSA 282-A:32, I(a); Emp 503.01).
How many jobs do I have to apply for each week in New Hampshire?
See the work-search row above; report every contact on the weekly claim.
Can part-time workers claim unemployment in New Hampshire?
Workers with reduced hours may claim partial benefits in any week of less than full-time work when their pay is below their weekly benefit amount (RSA 282-A:14, II; 282-A:26).
Official New Hampshire Sources & Resources
- New Hampshire Employment Security: https://www.nhes.nh.gov/services/claimants/
- New Hampshire unemployment statute (RSA ch. 282-A): https://gc.nh.gov/rsa/html/NHTOC/NHTOC-XXIII-282-A.htm
- U.S. Department of Labor — Unemployment Insurance: dol.gov
This New Hampshire unemployment eligibility guide was last verified against official New Hampshire sources in October 2026. Rules change — confirm the current figure with the state agency or a licensed attorney.
More New Hampshire Unemployment Guides
- New Hampshire Unemployment Benefits: How Much and How Long
- How to Apply for Unemployment in New Hampshire
- New Hampshire Unemployment Appeal: Deadline and Hearing
- Unemployment Guides for All 50 States
Disclaimer: This guide is general information, not legal or financial advice. My Unemployment Rights is an independent educational resource, not a government agency and not a law firm. Unemployment benefit amounts, deadlines and rules change — every figure here carries the date we verified it. Confirm the current figure and any deadline with your state unemployment agency before you act.