Starting a business on unemployment in Georgia

Self-Employment Assistance in Georgia

No. Georgia doesn’t run Self-Employment Assistance, so unemployment is for people looking for work.

How self-employment affects your benefit

You are not eligible if you are self-employed full time. Part-time self-employment earnings must be reported as gross earnings each week and reduce benefits under the partial formula.

The first $50 of weekly earnings is disregarded and the rest is deducted from the weekly benefit.

Your weekly job search

Make at least 3 new, verifiable job contacts each week, with employers not contacted before and on 3 or more days. Submit them online with the weekly certification, and keep detailed records for audit. You must register with WorkSource Georgia (WorkSourceGAPortal.com) within 10 days of your first payment.

Pontia keeps your job-search record for you and links to WorkSource Georgia portal (replaced EmployGeorgia for UI registration), so your plan and your search run side by side.

Other help in Georgia

• Georgia Vocational Rehabilitation Agency (GVRA): GVRA lists Self-Employment among its VR services, and its Client Services Policy Manual has sections on self-employment and supported self-employment.
• Medicaid: Georgia did not expand Medicaid, so the new federal work requirement for expansion adults does not apply here. Georgia has no ACA expansion, but its Pathways to Coverage 1115 waiver already requires 80 hours a month of qualifying activities. That waiver runs to 31 Dec 2026, and from 1 Jan 2027 Pathways moves to the federal community engagement rules (current members affected at their 2027 renewal).
• SBA Microloans of up to $50,000, and free advice from your local SBDC and SCORE mentors.
• On SSI or SSDI: PASS and the SSDI trial work period let you test a business.

Questions