GREENSBORO, N.C. — Unemployment help with the click of a button? It sounds suspicious but certainly tempting, as unemployment offices are synonymous with long hold times and hefty applications.
From 14 percent to 3 percent, the U.S. unemployment rate has improved markedly since the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic forced layoffs and furloughs.
However, with uncertainty about a recession and unsustainably-high inflation, accessing unemployment information quickly and easily could make the difference in whether a bill gets paid.
THE QUESTION
Joel Boisette reached out on Twitter asking, "Can you please VERIFY if UnemploymentBenefitsGuide.com is a legitimate website? They're sending me all kinds of e-mails."
THE SOURCES
- UnemploymentBenefitsGuide.com
- NC Department of Commerce
- Lechelle Yates - Better Business Bureau (BBB) of Central and Northwest NC
THE ANSWER
Yes, UnemploymentBenefits.com is a real website -- a resource for state-by-state information.
THE PROCESS
"UnemploymentBenefitsGuide.com is a legitimate website in that it is a directory of resources provided by state and federal government, and it states plainly right on the homepage of its website that it is, in no way affiliated with, endorsed or sponsored by the federal government or any other governmental body or private entity offering similar benefits," BBB communications representative Lechelle Yates explained.
Scroll down to the section on 'how to apply,' and the user will find the states alphabetized. Select North Carolina, for example, the user will see who's eligible for unemployment insurance and find a link to the real NC Dept. of Commerce website. The URL ends in '.gov' as all government websites do, and it has the lock icon, indicating it is a secure site.
The process takes several steps, and Yates pointed out spammers have a knack for creating fake links. Thus, she suggested Googling 'unemployment (state)' and going straight to the source.
As for the e-mails viewer Boisette mentioned receiving from the website, Yates affirmed those are likely legitimate, too.
"The website says you will receive marketing messages from it and its advertisers by e-mail, phone and/or text, but the website does not tell you the names of the advertisers. So, without knowing who those advertisers are, I cannot say if they are legitimate businesses selling legitimate products," Yates explained.
If a user does not want unsolicited e-mails, click 'unsubscribe' in the e-mail or bottom of the website. If that doesn't work, unfortunately the options are slim. The website, as Yates noted, does not have contact information listed. That is why, she re-emphasized, it is best to visit the state's commerce department website directly for unemployment benefit information and applications.