Yes. It does not matter whether the organization is public, private or some other type of agency. If you were working full time and were separated from your employment without cause (anything but something dramatic that was definitely your fault - stealling, being unwilling to do your job etc.) then you qualify for unemployment. Sometimes the length of your unemployment is determined by how long you were employed. I think this varies from state to state. In Virginia, it's determined by your status 18 months before separation. So if you were only at a job for 12 months, you migt get 15 weeks rather than 26 and so on.