How do you figure out the base year for unemployment?

I work at a seasonal job and will be filing for unemployment on or around December 1st of 2010 so how do I figure out what the base year is because I know they go back a few months before it counts? Also I assume when they say your highest quarter they mean the highest paid per a 3 month period.|||they go back for the last 52 weeks from the date of filing


yes, highest quarter = 3 month consecutive time period|||The most common base year is the first 4 of the last 5 completed calendar quarters. From today, the most recent completed quarter ended March 31st. The first quarter of that base year would be Jan - Mar 2009 and the last would be Oct - Dec 2009 so the base year would be Jan 1 , 2009 - Dec 31, 2009. A few states (CA is one if memory serves) use the first 4 of the last 5 quarters, inclusive of the current quarter. That would make the base year Apr 1, 2009 - Mar 31, 2010.|||For most states your base year is the four calendar quarters not counting the current one when you apply, so would be Oct 09 - Sept 10. When they say "quarter" they mean Jan-Mar, Apr-June, July-Sept, and Oct-Dec, not just ANY three month period.|||If you file in December 2010, then the base year is July 2009 through June 2010.





A base year always ends March 31, June 30, September 30, or December 31. Your base year ends whichever of these dates is at least three months and one day, and not more than six months, before you file.





A base year always begins January 1, April 1, July 1, or October 1. You base year begins whichever of these dates is at least fifteen months, and less than 18 months, before you file.





Your highest quarter is whichever of these three-month periods was the highest paid


Jan-March


April-June


July-Sept


Oct-Dec


Other 3-month periods (such as March-May or Nov-Jan) are not "quarters".