 TITLE: Is Unemployment a Public Record? CONTENT: Who Can Find Out if I'm Collecting Unemployment?\n------------------------------------------------\nGenerally, members of the public cannot access any records related to your unemployment benefits. Individuals like your friends and family, as well as prospective employers and organizations, are not privy to records indicating you receive or have received unemployment benefits unless you show them.\nThe major exception to this is your previous employers, who will be notified when you apply for unemployment benefits. This is because in order to process your unemployment insurance application, your state must verify a few things with your previous employer including your wages, dates of employment and circumstances around you losing your job.\nIn addition to your past employers, there are a few other—albeit fairly rare—instances that someone could see a record of your unemployment benefits. According the U.S. Department of Labor, state unemployment agencies are only allowed to share unemployment records in the following circumstances:\n1.  Disclosure to public officials: In the case that a public official (federal, state or local) needs to access your unemployment benefits history to administer or enforce a law, state unemployment agencies may have to make the records available. Additionally, unemployment records must be made available to certain government agencies that handle child support enforcement and food stamps.\n2.  Subpoenas: In certain instances, unemployment agencies may receive an official subpoena for your unemployment records and must disclose your information.\n3.  Disclosure to private entities with your consent: If you provide consent as part of a written agreement, unemployment agencies may disclose your unemployment information to a private entity. Any entity that receives your unemployment information is not allowed to share it with anyone else and must pay for the costs associated with the disclosure. END