This scenario happened to me 10 years ago. I was making good money on a 1099 (contract) project after a W-2 job ended. The W-2 job was understood to be temporary from the beginning. Despite all this, I was able to collect unemployment as long as I was searching for another W-2 job. The WI unemployment office told me their world is W-2 jobs, and they ignore 1099 contract jobs. Once I got so busy with 1099 projects that I couldn't honestly search for a W-2 job, I informed the unemployment office. They seemed surprised I told the truth rather than just submitting applications to jobs I would never take and collecting the unemployment benefit until it ran out. They said whatever unemployment money was left would still be available if I started looking for a W-2 job again.
