From WLRN, Jim Ash reports that a Florida court held that an Uber driver was an independent contractor and not eligible for unemployment benefits. Jim reports:
A Miami appeals court is siding with Governor Rick Scott and San Francisco-based technology giant Uber in a dispute over the status of part-time drivers.
The Third District Court of Appeals in Miami has decided Uber drivers are independent contractors and not employees and therefore not eligible for unemployment benefits.
The ruling cites a standard Uber contract requiring drivers to acknowledge that they are independent contractors. The driver argued Uber controls almost every aspect of his performance and had the right to fire him.
Source: Miami Court Rules That Uber Drivers Are Not Eligible For Unemployment Benefits
Yes, contract workers are eligible for umemployment benefits. They just have to apply through the state and not the company after they pay their 20% taxes that is not witheld.