Not always. It depends on the circumstances surrounding your employment and termination. Part time workers are not usually eligible. If the employer has a case showing that they fired you due to fault, then you will at the least have to fight that and prove it was through no fault of your own. If you were laid off as a result of budget cuts and restructuring, then you are entitled.
According to The Employment Development Department of California:
An individual who files for unemployment insurance benefits must meet specific eligibility requirements before benefits can be paid. Individuals must:
* Have received enough wages during the base period to establish a claim
* Be totally or partially unemployed
* Be unemployed through no fault of his/her own
* Be physically able to work
* Be available for work which means to be ready and willing to immediately accept work
* Be actively looking for work
* Meet eligibility requirements each week benefits are claimed
* Be approved for training before training benefits can be paid
The reason an individual is out of work can affect his/her eligibility for benefits. A person who is laid off is out of work through no fault of his/her own. A person who quits work or is fired from work will be scheduled to a telephone interview because there is a separation issue that must be resolved.