If you don't meet your state's requirements, you are ineligible for unemployment benefits. Methods of determining your base period Whether you are trying to figure out if you qualify for benefits or how much money you will receive, you need to understand how your state determines your base period. Most states determine the base period in one of four different ways. Every state's method for defining the base period relies on the date when you apply for benefits. From that date, the unemployment office reviews your employment history to learn what you earned and how long you worked.
Many states use calendar quarters to define the parameters of the base period.
You will see in the following description that the majority of states define their base period as the first four of the last five quarters. A quarter is three months long, so there are four calendar quarters in one year. The first quarter of a calendar year runs from Jan. 1 until March 31, the second quarter runs from April 1 to June 30, the third quarter is July 1 to Sept. 30, and the final quarter is from Oct. 1 until Dec. 31. Michigan uses this method. Your base period is the last four completed calendar quarters before the date you filed your claim.