California EDD unemployment - do you file where you work or where you live?

You file based on where you physically performed the work, not where your employer is headquartered. Since you were going into an office in Sacramento every day, California EDD is 100% the right place for you. The state that collects unemployment insurance taxes on your wages is the state you file with - and if you were working in California, your employer should have been paying into California's UI fund regardless of where they're incorporated.

wait i thought it was where you LIVE?? now im confused. i filed with california edd last year when i was living here but working remotely for a company in another state and it went fine

This question trips SO many people up. Short answer: file where you worked. Longer answer - for most people those are the same thing. But in your case working in Sacramento means California EDD is definitely right. One thing to double check - look at your pay stubs and see if there's California SDI (State Disability Insurance) being withheld. If yes, you were definitely being taxed as a California employee and California EDD is your agency. If your employer was somehow not withholding California state taxes even though you worked here, that could complicate things but it's still likely California EDD.

Had the exact same situation - company was based out of state but I worked in California. Filed with California EDD and it was completely fine. The only time it gets weird is if you were literally splitting time between states, like working 3 days in California and 2 days in another state. In that case you'd need to figure out which state collected more of your UI taxes. But for a standard in-office Sacramento job? California EDD all the way. Go to the UI Online portal and get your claim started, shouldn't be any issues with jurisdiction.

When I was trying to sort out my own filing situation I spent FOREVER trying to get someone at California EDD on the phone to just answer a simple question like this. Kept getting the busy signal or getting hung up on after waiting. Someone on another forum mentioned Claimyr (claimyr.com) - it's a service that basically navigates the phone system for you and gets you connected to an actual California EDD agent. There's a demo video at https://youtu.be/JmuwXR7HA10 if you want to see how it works. I used it when I had a specific question about my claim and got through way faster than trying on my own. For a question like yours it might not be necessary since the answer seems pretty clear, but if anything complicated comes up during filing it's good to know about.

not to derail but this post made me realize I might have filed in the wrong state years ago lol. I lived in Oregon but drove down to work in Redding California like 4 days a week. I just filed in Oregon because that's where I lived. Anyone know if that was wrong?

The rule is called the 'place of base of operations' or more commonly just 'where work is localized.' California EDD will claim jurisdiction when your employment was based and performed in California. Since you had a physical office in Sacramento, showed up there regularly, and had California SDI withheld (based on what you mentioned in replies), you have zero ambiguity here. File with California EDD. Start at edd.ca.gov and use UI Online to submit your claim. Make sure you have your employer's California address ready (the Sacramento office, not the Nevada headquarters) when filling out the employer information section.

can someone clarify something - if you work from home in california for a california company everything is just normal california edd right? asking for myself not OP

To add one more layer for anyone reading this later - if you're a 1099 contractor (not a regular W-2 employee) the rules are different and you typically can't claim regular California EDD UI benefits at all. That's a whole separate conversation. But for W-2 employees like OP sounds like, the where-you-work rule applies and California EDD is the right answer here.

just here to say I was in almost the exact same situation and California EDD processed my claim totally normally. company HQ was in Washington state but I worked in the Bay Area. No issues, no questions about jurisdiction or anything. Just filed normally on UI Online.

honestly the bigger challenge isn't figuring out WHERE to file its actually getting your claim processed once you do. california edd adjudication can take forever and you can never get anyone on the phone. make sure you respond to any notices IMMEDIATELY because delays on your end make everything worse

Does it matter that the company is in Nevada for the actual benefits amount? Like does that affect how much you get or is it all based on California EDD rates regardless

One practical tip: when you fill out the UI Online application and it asks for your employer's information, put the Sacramento office address as your primary work location. The fact that corporate HQ is in Nevada is secondary - California EDD wants to know where YOU worked. This helps them confirm California was the right jurisdiction without any back and forth.

my coworker filed in the wrong state once (filed where company was instead of where she worked) and it caused like a 6 week delay getting everything sorted out. so glad OP asked before filing

If you do run into any weird jurisdictional questions after you file or your claim gets flagged, that's when having a way to actually talk to a California EDD agent becomes important. The phone system is notoriously hard to get through. Claimyr (claimyr.com) helped me get connected when I had an issue mid-claim - there's a walkthrough video at https://youtu.be/JmuwXR7HA10. Saved me a lot of stress compared to just redialing endlessly.

wait does any of this change if you got laid off vs quit vs fired? like does the where you file thing depend on the reason for separation

not related exactly but does anyone know if california edd has issues with claims from people whose employers go out of business? my company just shut down completely not just laid people off

OP let us know how your filing goes! curious if the out of state employer thing causes any hiccups

For anyone with a truly complex multi-state work history - like if you spent significant time working in multiple states in the same year - there's actually an interstate claim process through California EDD where wages from multiple states can potentially be combined. It's called a combined wage claim. Rare situation but worth knowing exists if your history is complicated.

To summarize everything in this thread for OP and future readers: 1) File where you performed the work, not where your employer is headquartered. 2) Check your pay stubs for California SDI withholding to confirm California EDD jurisdiction. 3) Use your actual California work location as the employer address on UI Online. 4) Respond quickly to any California EDD notices once your claim is submitted. 5) If you get stuck or need to talk to someone, the phone lines are tough but there are tools to help get through. Your situation sounds completely standard for California EDD - no reason to expect complications. Good luck with the claim.