How to file for unemployment in Louisiana
The online claim is usually the fastest way. Here is what to have ready, when your claim starts and what comes after you file.
All about unemployment in Louisiana
Checked against official sources: October 31, 2026.
Filing, step by step
File online any time through your HiRE account (fastest). If you cannot file online, call the UI Call Center at 1-866-783-5567. You must also verify your identity before any benefits can be paid.
When to file and when your claim starts
File as soon as you are out of work. Your benefit year starts on the Sunday of the week you file. File your first weekly claim on the Sunday after you apply.
What to have ready
- Your Social Security number
- Names, addresses, job-site locations and phone numbers of all employers you worked for in the last 18 months
- Name and local number of your union hall, if any
- Your Alien Registration number, if you are not a U.S. citizen
- Military in the last 18 months: DD-214 Member 4 copy
- Federal workers in the last 18 months: SF-8 and SF-50 (do not delay filing if you cannot find them)
Certify (claim your weeks)
How often: Weekly. Request payment every week online in HiRE or by phone at 1-866-783-5567. You can file from Sunday until Saturday at 11:59 p.m. Central time. Report all work and gross earnings for the week you did the work, even if you have not been paid yet, and report your work search activities.
Your first payment
Allow at least 21 days after your first weekly claim for a decision. Benefits are paid by direct deposit or a U.S. Bank debit card, which is mailed 7 to 14 days after your first payment is issued. Payments are sent 3 to 4 days after you file your weekly claim.
Register for work
You must register for work. Registration is done in your HiRE account, the same system used to file your claim.
Law: La. R.S. 23:1600(1)-(2)
Official source: Source page
What applies in every state
- File with the unemployment program of the state where you worked. If you worked in another state or in several states, the agency in the state where you live now can tell you how to file with other states.
- It generally takes two to three weeks after you file to get your first payment. Some states require a one-week waiting period, so the second week you claim is the first week paid.
Free help
Call 1-866-783-5567. Legal aid and other free help in Louisiana → Official sources →
More questions about unemployment in Louisiana
Is there a waiting week in Louisiana?
Yes. The first week after your claim starts is usually your waiting week. You must file a weekly claim for it, but you are not paid for it.