What is unemployment insurance (seguro-desemprego)?
Seguro-desemprego is the benefit under Law 7,998/1990 that provides temporary income to formal employees dismissed without cause, including constructive dismissal. It also covers domestic workers, artisanal fishers during the closed season and workers rescued from slavery-like conditions, each with its own rules.
The number of payments ranges from 3 to 5 and depends on time worked and on how many times the benefit has been claimed. A first claim requires at least 12 months of work in the last 18, which gives 4 payments, or 24 months for 5 payments. A second claim needs 9 months in the last 12; from the third claim on, 6 months. The amount is based on the average of the last three salaries, with a floor at the minimum wage and a ceiling adjusted every year by the INPC index.
Applications are accepted from the 7th to the 120th day after dismissal, through the Carteira de Trabalho Digital app, the gov.br portal or labour offices. The employer's role is to file the termination in eSocial on time, which generates the claim automatically and replaced the old paper forms. Employees who resign or are dismissed for cause are not entitled.
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An operator earning R$ 2,400.00 is dismissed without cause after 20 months in their first formal job. They have never claimed the benefit, so they qualify for 4 payments, calculated on the R$ 2,400.00 average and paid monthly. The claim appears in the app as soon as the company files the termination in eSocial.
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Open calculatorFrequently asked questions
Who is entitled to seguro-desemprego?
Formal employees dismissed without cause who meet the qualifying period: 12 months of work in the last 18 for a first claim, 9 in the last 12 for a second and 6 months from the third claim onwards.
How many payments does seguro-desemprego make?
3 to 5 monthly payments, depending on time worked and previous claims. On a first claim, 12 months of work give 4 payments and 24 months give 5.
What is the deadline to apply for seguro-desemprego?
From the 7th to the 120th day after the dismissal date, through the Carteira de Trabalho Digital app, gov.br or labour offices. The claim is generated when the employer files the termination in eSocial.