California Unemployment Insurance Program

Unemployment Insurance (UI) is a program funded by employers per federal and state requirements for the purpose of providing a source of temporary income replacement for unemployed workers. Every state is responsible for administering their own UI benefits while abiding to specific federal guidelines. The Office of Unemployment Insurance (OUI) provides the federal legislation and will oversee all states to ensure that UI benefits are being used appropriately.
The California unemployment insurance program is managed by the State of California Employment Development Department (EDD), one of the largest state departments in operation. This organization strives to serve workers, employers, and job seekers with services that will support the economic growth of the state through various programs that include: Unemployment Insurance (UI), State Disability Insurance (SDI), workforce services and many other internal programs.

There are seven major branches that work together to keep California’s $2 trillion economy running efficiently, one of which is the Unemployment Insurance Branch. This branch is responsible for determining eligibility, paying unemployment benefits appropriately, filing claims, and other duties that uphold the integrity of the UI program.