David19.. I respect that you come here often asking for advice in a variety of topics. However. some of them, and particularly this one are very particular to your specific situation and most likely can only be handled within your specific jurisdiction. I can tell you that at one point I have filed for unemployment in Indiana and could explain to you what kind of experience I had there. I could also tell you about having to file for unemployment in the country of Sweden after completing a masters degree but not able to immediately maintain my student loan payments.
Neither of those experiences is going to give you a very good point of reference in your specific situation, because most unemployment benefits (even if they are benefits subsidized by the federal government) are mandated and administrated by the state.
If you are in a bit of a predicament as far as loosing your job is concerned,, and your relatives have experienced the same thing... you should be seeking proper advice from them, and possibly working at the grassroots level with your disenfranchised colleagues, counterparts and affected family, to find the best solution to your temporary problem and instead of expecting that you are going to get some golden answer from the CA.com community be out there with them sorting your situation out and making a loud appeal to claim your rights.