Virginia 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 Virginia 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 Virginia sources as of October 2026.
Virginia Unemployment Eligibility at a Glance
| Earnings test | Under Va. Code § 60.2-612, base-period wages must fall in at least two quarters. |
| Base period | The standard base period is the first four of the last five completed calendar quarters before your claim starts. |
| Able and available | Under § 60.2-612, you must be able to work, available for work, and actively looking for suitable work you have not been able to find. |
| Work search | VEC generally requires at least two job contacts every week, made within the week you claim, unless VEC tells you otherwise. |
| Fired | Under § 60.2-618(2), misconduct generally means deliberately breaking a reasonable, known employer rule, or acts so serious or repeated that they show willful… |
| Quit | Under § 60.2-618(1), good cause means reasons so substantial and compelling that you had no reasonable alternative to quitting, after first trying reasonable… |
| Part-time | Yes. If your hours are cut and you earn less than your weekly benefit amount, you may qualify for partial benefits. |
In This Virginia Unemployment Eligibility Guide:
The Three Virginia Unemployment Eligibility Tests
Every Virginia unemployment eligibility decision applies the same three tests, in this order.
Earnings: Under Va. Code § 60.2-612, base-period wages must fall in at least two quarters. Wages in the two highest quarters must meet the minimum in Column A of the Benefit Table in § 60.2-602. VEC guidance says most claimants need at least 3000 in the two highest quarters combined; confirm the current figure with VEC.
The wage test is waived if your employer closed or went bankrupt without paying your final wages.
Separation: you were laid off, let go without disqualifying misconduct, or quit with good cause as Virginia defines it. This is the test most denials turn on.
Able, available and searching: Under § 60.2-612, you must be able to work, available for work, and actively looking for suitable work you have not been able to find. If your hours are cut but you keep the job, VEC generally requires you to work all hours your employer offers. Whether being available only for part-time work is enough should be confirmed with VEC.
Virginia Unemployment Eligibility Rules at a Glance
The short version of every Virginia unemployment eligibility rule is below; each one is explained in full in the sections that follow.
| Monetary (earnings) test | Under Va. Code § 60.2-612, base-period wages must fall in at least two quarters. |
| Base period | The standard base period is the first four of the last five completed calendar quarters before your claim starts. If those wages are too low, VEC uses an alternate base period: the last four completed quarters. |
| Able and available | Under § 60.2-612, you must be able to work, available for work, and actively looking for suitable work you have not been able to find. |
| Work search | VEC generally requires at least two job contacts every week, made within the week you claim, unless VEC tells you otherwise. Online filers report contacts with each weekly claim. |
| Laid off | A layoff or reduction in force for lack of work is not a disqualification under § 60.2-618, so most laid-off workers may qualify if they meet the wage and weekly requirements. |
| Fired | Under § 60.2-618(2), misconduct generally means deliberately breaking a reasonable, known employer rule, or acts so serious or repeated that they show willful disregard of the employer’s interests. |
| Quit | Under § 60.2-618(1), good cause means reasons so substantial and compelling that you had no reasonable alternative to quitting, after first trying reasonable steps to fix the problem. |
| Part-time or reduced hours | Yes. If your hours are cut and you earn less than your weekly benefit amount, you may qualify for partial benefits. |
| Disqualification length | A disqualification for quitting without good cause or for misconduct lasts until you work for an employer for 30 days (they don’t have to be in a row) or 240 hours, then lose that job, under § 60.2-618. |
Virginia Unemployment Eligibility If You Were Fired
Under § 60.2-618(2), misconduct generally means deliberately breaking a reasonable, known employer rule, or acts so serious or repeated that they show willful disregard of the employer’s interests. Virginia courts hold that honest mistakes, simple negligence or involuntary poor performance are usually not misconduct. Unexplained poor performance that continues after warnings can be. The Commission may weigh mitigating circumstances.
Virginia Unemployment Eligibility If You Quit
Under § 60.2-618(1), good cause means reasons so substantial and compelling that you had no reasonable alternative to quitting, after first trying reasonable steps to fix the problem. Accepted examples include a medical restriction when the employer has no light-duty work, and following a military spouse on a permanent change of station order. A separation under a seniority-based policy is not treated as a voluntary quit.
The statute rejects quitting to become self-employed and quitting to follow a non-military spouse to a new area.
How long a disqualification lasts. A disqualification for quitting without good cause or for misconduct lasts until you work for an employer for 30 days (they don’t have to be in a row) or 240 hours, then lose that job, under § 60.2-618. A false statement made to get benefits brings a separate 52-week disqualification.
Virginia Unemployment Eligibility If You Were Laid Off
A layoff or reduction in force for lack of work is not a disqualification under § 60.2-618, so most laid-off workers may qualify if they meet the wage and weekly requirements. How a recall date affects the work-search requirement should be confirmed with VEC.
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Virginia Unemployment Eligibility for Part-Time, Gig and Self-Employed Workers
Part-time or reduced hours. Yes. If your hours are cut and you earn less than your weekly benefit amount, you may qualify for partial benefits. Your employer completes a Statement of Partial Unemployment, and you must report all earnings and work all hours offered.
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.
Virginia Unemployment Eligibility Work Search Rules
VEC generally requires at least two job contacts every week, made within the week you claim, unless VEC tells you otherwise. Online filers report contacts with each weekly claim. Phone filers send a Work Search Record form every four weeks. Keep records for one year in case of an audit.
Reading Your Virginia Determination Letters
Every Virginia 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 shows the base-period wages VEC found, your weekly benefit amount, and how many weeks you can be paid; check that every employer and every quarter is listed. Separation and eligibility issues are decided in a Notice of Deputy’s Determination.
Check the decision, the reason given, and the appeal deadline printed on it.
Other Virginia Unemployment Eligibility Rules to Know
Any disqualification applies only if your last employer is one you worked for at least 30 days or 240 hours, or a job you held after that one (§ 60.2-618). Under § 60.2-618(4), chronic absences or lateness that break a known policy, or unapproved absences after a written warning, count as misconduct. Under § 60.2-618(5), losing a required license or certification through your own fault can disqualify you.
Next step: if you qualify, file in the first week after your last day — our Virginia application guide lists the documents and the steps. If you were denied, the appeal guide has the deadline.
Virginia — the bottom line
- Virginia unemployment eligibility turns on three tests: enough wages, a qualifying separation, and being able, available and searching.
- Most Virginia 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 Virginia unemployment eligibility rules let you requalify after new covered work.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I get unemployment in Virginia if I was fired?
Under the Virginia 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 § 60.2-618(2), misconduct generally means deliberately breaking a reasonable, known employer rule, or acts so serious or repeated that they show willful disregard of the employer’s interests.
Can I get unemployment in Virginia if I quit?
Only with good cause as the state defines it. Under § 60.2-618(1), good cause means reasons so substantial and compelling that you had no reasonable alternative to quitting, after first trying reasonable steps to fix the problem.
How many jobs do I have to apply for each week in Virginia?
VEC generally requires at least two job contacts every week, made within the week you claim, unless VEC tells you otherwise. Online filers report contacts with each weekly claim.
Can part-time workers claim unemployment in Virginia?
Yes. If your hours are cut and you earn less than your weekly benefit amount, you may qualify for partial benefits. Your employer completes a Statement of Partial Unemployment, and you must report all earnings and work all hours offered.
Official Virginia Sources & Resources
- Virginia Employment Commission (VEC): https://www.vec.virginia.gov/unemployed
- Virginia unemployment statute (Va. Code 60.2): https://law.lis.virginia.gov/vacodefull/title60.2/chapter6/article4/
- U.S. Department of Labor — Unemployment Insurance: dol.gov
This Virginia unemployment eligibility guide was last verified against official Virginia sources in October 2026. Rules change — confirm the current figure with the state agency or a licensed attorney.
More Virginia Unemployment Guides
- Virginia Unemployment Benefits: How Much and How Long
- How to Apply for Unemployment in Virginia
- Virginia 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.