How To File For Puerto Rico Unemployment

This page provides information on how to file for unemployment in Puerto Rico. If you lost your job or your hours were reduced at no fault of your own, you may qualify to receive unemployment benefits in your state. Review the information below, if you still have questions or issues about these benefits, then we suggest to contact your local Puerto Rico Unemployment Department for assistance. It is important that you file your new claim right away because Puerto Rico unemployment insurance are not retroactive.

Information you may need when applying for Puerto Rico unemployment

Below is a list of information you may need when applying for unemployment benefits in Puerto Rico:

  • Your Social Security Number
  • Your mailing address, city, state and ZIP code
  • The county in which you reside
  • The names, addresses, and phone numbers of all your employers for the last 18 months
  • The last day you worked immediately prior to completing your application for benefits
  • The name and local number of your union hall, if applicable
  • Your Alien Registration Number if you are not a citizen of the US
  • Copy #4 of your DD Form 214 if released from the military in the last 18 months
  • Form SF 8 or SF 50 if employed in Federal Civilian service in the last 18 months
  • If you are collecting a pension (other than Social Security), you will need the start date of the pension and the monthly benefit amount

File for Puerto Rico unemployment benefits

Through the Claimants Services Web Portal, you will be able to file an initial claim for unemployment benefits if you have worked in Puerto Rico for at least two quarters within the last 18 months and you became unemployed due to reasons beyond your control. This service is available 24 hours, 7 days a week. Any application submitted after 5pm, from Monday to Friday, will be processed the next working day.

The time to complete the application should not exceed 30 minutes. You can also file your initial claim by phone, call 787-945-7900 during regular working hours, from 7am to 4:30pm, Monday to Friday except holidays.

To get started filing your unemployment claim, click here.

Filing Puerto Rico weekly unemployment claim

If you already submitted your initial claim and wish to claim additional weeks, click here to claim your weekly benefits or call our Interactive Voice Response System (IVR) at 787-625-7900, in operation 24/7. If you work for any government agency and you have the access information provided by the Department of Labor, enter the username and password to obtain the information you are looking for.