# Receiving Unemployment upon termination of commission-based job

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/receiving-unemployment-upon-termination-of-commission-based-job/385903>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [December 28, 2006, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/receiving-unemployment-upon-termination-of-commission-based-job/385903 "2006-12-28T20:50:49Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Hazle\_Weatherfield](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Hazle\_Weatherfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hazle_Weatherfield)\
**Post date:** [December 28, 2006, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/receiving-unemployment-upon-termination-of-commission-based-job/385903/1 "2006-12-28T20:50:49Z")

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A friend of mine is a sales rep for a major plush toy company. She works on commission only. Her territory isn’t doing so well and she’s afraid she may be fired sometime in the first quarter. Would she be eligible for unemployment? If so, how would it be calculated (her paycheck varies greatly from month to month?)

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**Author:** ![Poysyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f4b2a3/32.png) [@Poysyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Poysyn)\
**Post date:** [December 28, 2006, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/receiving-unemployment-upon-termination-of-commission-based-job/385903/2 "2006-12-28T20:58:16Z")

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I am not sure, but I believe her pay would be averaged out for the time - say the last six months.

Then she would get benefits based on that amount.

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**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\
**Post date:** [December 28, 2006, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/receiving-unemployment-upon-termination-of-commission-based-job/385903/3 "2006-12-28T21:51:37Z")

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What state are you in?

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**Author:** ![Hazle\_Weatherfield](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Hazle\_Weatherfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hazle_Weatherfield)\
**Post date:** [December 29, 2006, 4:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/receiving-unemployment-upon-termination-of-commission-based-job/385903/4 "2006-12-29T04:05:46Z")

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Illinois.

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**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\
**Post date:** [December 29, 2006, 4:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/receiving-unemployment-upon-termination-of-commission-based-job/385903/5 "2006-12-29T04:16:32Z")

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The [Illinois Department of Employment Security](http://www.ides.state.il.us/individual/default.asp) website should answer all your friend’s questions. You can file your claim online, as well as browse their job listings and find other information to help you file for benefits and in searching for a new job.