Vermont 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 Vermont 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 Vermont sources as of October 2026.
Vermont Unemployment Eligibility at a Glance
| Earnings test | Base-period wages of 1.4 times the high quarter and $3,739 in the high quarter. |
| Base period | The standard base period is the first four of the last five completed calendar quarters before the claim’s effective date. |
| Work search | The state generally requires three job contacts or work-search activities each week benefits are claimed. |
| Fired | Under 21 V.S.A. § 1344(a)(1), misconduct means work-related conduct in substantial disregard of the employer’s interests, and the employer must prove it. |
| Quit | Under 21 V.S.A. § 1344(a)(2)(A), a quit must be for good cause attributable to the employer, judged by what a reasonable person would do. |
| Part-time | Workers with reduced hours may be eligible for partial benefits if they now work fewer than 35 hours a week after… |
In This Vermont Unemployment Eligibility Guide:
The Three Vermont Unemployment Eligibility Tests
Every Vermont unemployment eligibility decision applies the same three tests, in this order.
Earnings: Base-period wages of 1.4 times the high quarter and $3,739 in the high quarter.
Separation: you were laid off, let go without disqualifying misconduct, or quit with good cause as Vermont defines it. This is the test most denials turn on.
Able, available and searching: you can work, you are available for suitable work, and you make the required job contacts each week.
Vermont Unemployment Eligibility Rules at a Glance
The short version of every Vermont unemployment eligibility rule is below; each one is explained in full in the sections that follow.
| Monetary (earnings) test | Base-period wages of 1.4 times the high quarter and $3,739 in the high quarter. |
| Base period | The standard base period is the first four of the last five completed calendar quarters before the claim’s effective date. Vermont also uses an alternate base period: the last four completed quarters (“Base Period 2”). |
| Work search | The state generally requires three job contacts or work-search activities each week benefits are claimed. Claimants record them on the weekly claim certification online. |
| Laid off | A layoff or reduction in force for lack of work is not a disqualifying separation, so most laid-off workers may qualify if they meet the wage test. |
| Fired | Under 21 V.S.A. § 1344(a)(1), misconduct means work-related conduct in substantial disregard of the employer’s interests, and the employer must prove it. |
| Quit | Under 21 V.S.A. § 1344(a)(2)(A), a quit must be for good cause attributable to the employer, judged by what a reasonable person would do. |
| Part-time or reduced hours | Workers with reduced hours may be eligible for partial benefits if they now work fewer than 35 hours a week after working at least 35 hours before. |
| In school or training | Under 21 V.S.A. § 1343(b), a claimant regularly attending a training course or program approved by the Commissioner is treated as available for work, as long as they are making satisfactory progress. |
| Disqualification length | For a quit without good cause attributable to the employer (§ 1344(a)(2)(A)), benefits are generally denied until the worker has worked for a real employer and earned more than 6 times their weekly benefit amount. |
Vermont Unemployment Eligibility If You Were Fired
Under 21 V.S.A. § 1344(a)(1), misconduct means work-related conduct in substantial disregard of the employer’s interests, and the employer must prove it. Gross misconduct (§ 1344(a)(2)(B)) includes theft, fraud, intoxication, felony conduct, intentional injury or serious property damage, and repeated incidents after a written warning. Poor performance, inability, isolated ordinary negligence or good-faith errors are generally not misconduct, so most claimants fired for performance may still qualify.
Vermont Unemployment Eligibility If You Quit
Under 21 V.S.A. § 1344(a)(2)(A), a quit must be for good cause attributable to the employer, judged by what a reasonable person would do. Reasons Vermont has accepted include an employer not fixing payroll problems, an employer breaking a promise to provide health coverage, and a part-time job being converted to full-time against the worker’s wishes.
Harassment can also qualify if the worker first tried to resolve it with the employer. Reasons rejected include quitting out of fear of future termination and quitting over ordinary disagreements or frustration with a coworker.
How long a disqualification lasts. For a quit without good cause attributable to the employer (§ 1344(a)(2)(A)), benefits are generally denied until the worker has worked for a real employer and earned more than 6 times their weekly benefit amount. For gross misconduct, the requalification is also earning 6 times the weekly benefit amount.
For simple misconduct (§ 1344(a)(1)(A)), the Commissioner sets a penalty of 6 to 15 weeks based on the circumstances.
Vermont Unemployment Eligibility If You Were Laid Off
A layoff or reduction in force for lack of work is not a disqualifying separation, so most laid-off workers may qualify if they meet the wage test. A 2021 VDOL notice exempted claimants with a verified return-to-work date within 10 weeks of the initial claim from the work search. Confirm with the Vermont Department of Labor that this recall exemption still applies.
Vermont Unemployment Eligibility for Part-Time, Gig and Self-Employed Workers
Part-time or reduced hours. Workers with reduced hours may be eligible for partial benefits if they now work fewer than 35 hours a week after working at least 35 hours before. Under 21 V.S.A. § 1339 and the claimant handbook, 50 percent of gross weekly wages is disregarded, and the rest is deducted dollar for dollar from the weekly benefit.
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Hours and gross wages must be reported on every weekly claim.
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. Under 21 V.S.A. § 1343(b), a claimant regularly attending a training course or program approved by the Commissioner is treated as available for work, as long as they are making satisfactory progress. Ordinary school attendance without that approval must still meet the able-and-available test. Under 21 V.S.A. § 1471, claimants who use up regular benefits may get up to 26 more weeks while in approved training.
Vermont Unemployment Eligibility Work Search Rules
The state generally requires three job contacts or work-search activities each week benefits are claimed. Claimants record them on the weekly claim certification online. Each claimant needs a Vermont JobLink account. A week without three valid contacts is generally not payable, and applying to the same job twice within five weeks counts only once.
Reading Your Vermont Determination Letters
Every Vermont unemployment eligibility decision arrives as a letter, and the letter tells you what was decided and how long you have to appeal it. The Monetary Determination lists the base-period wages used and the weekly benefit amount, so check that every employer and quarter is included. Missing wages, such as wages from another state, can lead to a redetermination.
The eligibility decision on the reason for the job loss is a non-monetary determination issued by a claims adjudicator; check the stated reason and the appeal deadline on it.
Other Vermont Unemployment Eligibility Rules to Know
Vermont has three base-period methods: standard, alternate and a third method that counts current-quarter wages. It also has a separate “gross misconduct” category with an earnings-based requalification, and up to 26 extra weeks of benefits for claimants in approved training under 21 V.S.A. § 1471.
Next step: if you qualify, file in the first week after your last day — our Vermont application guide lists the documents and the steps. If you were denied, the appeal guide has the deadline.
Vermont — the bottom line
- Vermont unemployment eligibility turns on three tests: enough wages, a qualifying separation, and being able, available and searching.
- Most Vermont 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 Vermont unemployment eligibility rules let you requalify after new covered work.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I get unemployment in Vermont if I was fired?
Under the Vermont 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. Under 21 V.S.A. § 1344(a)(1), misconduct means work-related conduct in substantial disregard of the employer’s interests, and the employer must prove it.
Can I get unemployment in Vermont if I quit?
Only with good cause as the state defines it. Under 21 V.S.A. § 1344(a)(2)(A), a quit must be for good cause attributable to the employer, judged by what a reasonable person would do.
How many jobs do I have to apply for each week in Vermont?
The state generally requires three job contacts or work-search activities each week benefits are claimed. Claimants record them on the weekly claim certification online.
Can part-time workers claim unemployment in Vermont?
Workers with reduced hours may be eligible for partial benefits if they now work fewer than 35 hours a week after working at least 35 hours before.
Official Vermont Sources & Resources
- Vermont Department of Labor: https://labor.vermont.gov/unemployment-insurance
- Vermont unemployment statute (21 V.S.A. ch. 17): https://legislature.vermont.gov/statutes/chapter/21/017
- U.S. Department of Labor — Unemployment Insurance: dol.gov
This Vermont unemployment eligibility guide was last verified against official Vermont sources in October 2026. Rules change — confirm the current figure with the state agency or a licensed attorney.
More Vermont Unemployment Guides
- Vermont Unemployment Benefits: How Much and How Long
- How to Apply for Unemployment in Vermont
- Vermont 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.