Anyone can file for unemployment. Even if you're self-employed, you can still file a claim, and the Employment Department will determine whether your claim is valid.
Unemployment Insurance is an insurance paid through Unemployment Insurance taxes by employers. Business owners without employees who have not specifically elected to subject themselves to Unemployment Insurance taxes over the past two years are not likely to have a valid unemployment claim. However, these conditions are constantly changing and the Employment Department has modified many of their own rules to adjust Unemployment eligibility. Many people are filing a claim for unemployment in case the program is expanded at a later date. There’s no harm in filing a claim, beyond the time it takes to go through the process.
The Employment Department website is
www.oregon.gov/employ. Please note there are different tabs on their page depending on if you are a business or an individual seeking benefits.
Watch a video on how to file for unemployment at:
https://govstatus.egov.com/ORUnemployment_COVID19