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Can seasonal self-employed people collect unemployment?
We work in the outdoor amusement industry and travel with a carnival. We have our own concession stand, but book through the carnival. When it is closed for the season we are out of work. Can we file for unemployment?

Asked by deanengen
Posted: Saturday, January 24, 2009  |  Found in Legal Issues

More answers by Nina Kaufman
Answer by Nina Kaufman
Generally, self-employed people cannot collect unemployment. Unemployment is available to those employees who are fired from their jobs. Seasonal work is akin to project work -- you were only needed for a particular period of time...so technically, you weren't fired. Your assignment merely came to an end.

However, there may be some room to play if the carnival pays you as a W-2 employee, or if you are an employee (as well as owner) of the corporation that books the concession stand. Speak to your accountant to determine your options.
Nina L. Kaufman is an award-winning business attorney, author and speaker. For more than 15 years, she has successfully navigated thousands of small businesses through the legal hurdles they face in starting and running their companies. Under her AskTheBusinessLawyer.com brand, she reaches thousands of entrepreneurs and small business owners with her legal services, professional speaking, information products, and LexAppeal weekly ezine.

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