NEW MEXICO (KRQE) – The New Mexico Department of Workforce Solutions on Tuesday encouraged federal employees in the state to prepare for a potential government shutdown.
The department reminded federal employees who are furloughed or laid off during a government shutdown that they may apply for unemployment insurance starting the first day.
In the case that there is a shutdown, federal workers in New Mexico are asked to gather the following documents ahead of time in order to file an initial unemployment claim:
- Social Security Number
- Mailing address(es) 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 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
- Furloughed Federal Employees must provide their recent Standard Form (SF)-50, an SF-8 (if issued), their most recent federal W-2 form, and recent federal earning and leave statements (pay stub).
- A Claimant’s Affidavit of Federal Civilian Service, Wages and Reason for Separation, ETA-935 form located on the NMDWS website at https://www.dws.state.nm.us/Federal-Government-Shutdown-Information.
Unemployment Insurance Claims become effective on the Sunday of the week an individual submits their initial claim. The first week of unemployment is not a payable week as it is a “waiting week”.
Individuals may apply for Unemployment Insurance benefits in two ways:
- Online at www.jobs.state.nm.us, available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
- By phone, by calling the UI Operations Center at 1-877-664-6984, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
