How To File For New Mexico Unemployment

This page provides information on how to file for unemployment in New Mexico. 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 New Mexico Unemployment Department for assistance. It is important that you file your new claim right away because New Mexico unemployment insurance are not retroactive.

File for New Mexico unemployment benefits

Unemployment Insurance (UI) claims are processed by the New Mexico Department of Workforce Solutions (NMDWS), and there are two ways to file for unemployment.

File for unemployment online

You can file your new (initial) Unemployment Insurance claim online by going to the New Mexico Workforce Connection online system at www.jobs.state.nm.us. Computers are available at your local New Mexico Workforce Connection Centers and local libraries. Their Unemployment Insurance (UI) Tax & Claims System is available to take initial claims and weekly certifications from 4:00am to 9:00pm Sunday through Friday. Please allow at least 30 minutes to file an online claim prior to system down time.

All individuals applying for and receiving unemployment benefits will be required to log into the New Mexico Workforce Connection Online System first in order to access the UI Tax & Claims system. Individuals will be required to maintain usernames and passwords for both the online jobs system and the UI Tax & Claims system.

File for unemployment by phone

You can also file by phone by calling 877-664-6984. After following the automated prompts, your call will be transferred to a Customer Service Agent (CSA) who will complete your claim. Their UI Operations Center is open from 8:00am to 4:30pm Monday - Friday. Whether over the internet or by telephone, you will need the following information to file a new claim:

  • Social Security Number
  • Mailing address and phone number(s) of employer(s) you worked for in last 18 months
  • The starting and ending dates of your last job (or jobs if more than one employer in last 18 months)
  • If you are a non-citizen, have your "A" number (Alien Registration Number) and expiration date
  • If you worked during the week you are filing your claim, be sure you know the gross amount (total dollars and cents before any deductions) of your pay before filing
  • Pencil and paper to write down questions and instructions

Unemployment benefits eligibility requirements

You must qualify in all of these areas to be eligible for unemployment benefits:

  • Base Period Wages
  • Separations from Your Job(s)
  • Able and Available Requirements
  • Work Search Requirements
  • Suitable Work
Base Period

They send a Monetary Determination that tells you whether you have enough wages during your base period (the first four of the last five completed calendar quarters before the start date of your claim) to qualify for benefits.

The Monetary Determination includes your weekly benefit amount (WBA), the maximum benefit amount (MBA) allowed during your benefit year (which is the 12 months your claim is in effect) and information on how NMDWS calculated your benefit amounts. If you worked for the federal government, the military, or in other states, your first Monetary Determination may not include those wages. They send a Monetary Redetermination whenever they receive additional wage information. A Monetary Determination stating you are monetarily eligible does not mean that you meet all of the requirements for receiving benefits. It simply means that you meet one of the important requirements by having sufficient qualifying wages.

Call them immediately if your Monetary Determination or Monetary Redetermination has the wrong Social Security number. Carefully review the wages and employers reported on the determination. Missing wages or missing employers could reduce your benefits or prevent you from qualifying. If you dispute employment or wage information, a Wage and Employer Correction Sheet will be sent to you. Follow the directions on the form to submit wage corrections.

Alternate Base Period

If you receive a Monetary Determination or Monetary Redetermination indicating that you are not monetarily eligible under the regular base period (first four of the last five quarters), you may be eligible to use the Alternate Base Period. The Alternate Base Period consists of the last four completed calendar quarters. If wages are available, the Department will automatically establish a claim using the Alternate Base Period and will notify you with a Monetary Determination. If wages are needed to determine an Alternate Base Period, you will be sent an Alternate Base Period Notification letter that includes instructions about how to submit wage information for the Alternate Base Period. Once the wages have been investigated, the Department will send you a Monetary Redetermination that uses the Alternate Base Period.

Benefit Year

Your claim is established for a 52-week period called a benefit year. It begins with the effective date of your claim and ends 52 weeks from that date. You may file weekly requests for benefits/weekly certifications until your claim has ended or you have exhausted your benefits. You may also file if you have earnings from part-time employment that are less than your weekly benefit amount. At the end of the benefit year, your claim will end whether or not you have received all available benefits. If you are unemployed at that time, you will need to file a new claim for benefits.

Covered Employment

Covered employment is work performed for an employer who is subject to the Unemployment Insurance (UI) tax laws or who otherwise makes payments for unemployment benefits. Employment in some fields is not usable on your claim because it is not considered "covered" employment under the UI tax laws. Non-covered jobs may include services performed through self-employment, and some religious organizations and some non-profit organizations. Commissions earned as a real estate agent or insurance agent and wages earned as an elected official or payments to corporate officers are also not covered. You may not be able to collect unemployment benefits if you performed non-covered work.

Even though you may have earned enough to qualify for benefits, you must meet other requirements to be eligible to receive unemployment benefits. For example, if you quit or were fired from your job, a department representative will request information from you and your employer and will determine your eligibility for benefits. You will either receive a Notice of Approval or a Notice of Disqualification. Included in the notice will be the reasoning and findings and the effects of the determination. If you have any other outstanding issues, these will also be listed at the end of the notice with an Issue ID number. If you receive a Notice of Disqualification, It will include instructions for filing a timely appeal. Failure to file a timely appeal may prevent you from having the original decision changed. You may be denied benefits if you:

  • Quit or were discharged from your job for reasons constituting misconduct
  • Are unemployed due to a strike
  • Are not able or available for and actively seeking full-time or part-time work of at least 20 hours per week
  • Refuse or fail to apply for suitable work
  • Have earnings equal to or more than your weekly benefit amount. (This includes wages, vacation, holiday or separation pay)
  • Are self-employed or working on a commission basis
Making a Weekly Request for Benefits/Weekly Certification

After you have applied for and have been determined monetarily eligible for benefits, a weekly request for benefits (sometimes referred to as a weekly certification) must be filed for each week you are requesting benefits. You must submit a timely request for weekly benefits/weekly certification. The first eligible week of any new claim is a "waiting week". You will not receive benefits for this week and it is not included in your weeks of payment.

Your weekly request for benefits/weekly certifications can be filed through the online system through the Unemployment Insurance Tax & Claims system at www.jobs.state.nm.us Sunday through Friday from 4:00am to 9:00pm or by calling 877-664-6984 using a touch-tone telephone Monday through Friday. If you need assistance with your weekly request for benefits/weekly certification or if there is an issue on your claim, contact a Customer Service Agent in the UI Operations Center at 877-664-6984 Monday through Friday from 8:00am to 4:30pm. The UI Operations Centers offers services in English and Spanish.

File an appeal

If you are denied benefits, you have the right to appeal the determination to the Department's Appeal Tribunal. You must file your appeal within 15 calendar days from the date the determination was issued. You may file an appeal by completing the "Request for a Hearing" information that is provided with the disqualifying determination you receive. You can also file your appeal to a determination online by logging into your account in the Unemployment Insurance Tax & Claims system at www.jobs.state.nm.us. Additional information about the appeals process and procedure is available at www.dws.state.nm.us.

If you have any questions about the appeal process, please speak to a Customer Service Agent in the UI Operations Center at 877-664-6984. You can contact the Appeals Tribunal at 800-227-7325 (if you are in New Mexico), 800-545-0533 (if outside of New Mexico), or 505-383-2700. When you file an appeal, it is important that you continue filing your weekly request for benefits/weekly certifications. If the outcome of the appeal is in your favor, you will be paid only for those weeks for which you file a weekly request for benefits/weekly certification and have met all other eligibility requirements.

You may appeal a Notice of Determination with which you disagree if you were aggrieved by the notice. Other interested parties, such as your employer(s), may also appeal the same determination. You have 15 calendar days from the date of the determination to appeal the determination. If you file a late appeal, you must provide an explanation for why you missed the deadline. Your failure to timely appeal will only be excused if the Appeal Tribunal determines that you have established good cause for filing a late appeal.