Employment Division v. Pelchat

The Employment Appeals Board (EAB) held that claimant was not disqualified from unemployment benefits under ORS 657.176. We reverse.

The facts are not disputed. Briefly stated, three weeks after his wife was laid off from her job, claimant left his employment on the East Coast, because he could not earn enough money to maintain his family. He moved to another state first and, ultimately, to Oregon, seeking new employment without success. He applied for unemployment benefits, which Employment Division (division) denied. Claimant appealed, and the hearing officer found that claimant had left…