When you lose your job, you can get financial help from the state. It’s called Arbeitslosengeld I or ALG I. You apply for ALG I at the Agentur für Arbeit.
You only get ALG I if you pay unemployment insurance. Almost all employees pay for unemployment insurance, because it’s mandatory. self-employed people rarely pay for unemployment insurance, because it’s optional.
ALG I is not the same thing as Bürgergeld.