How Much Unemployment Will I Get? How States Calculate It

How states calculate your unemployment payment

When you apply for unemployment insurance, your state's workforce agency looks at how much money you made in the past. They use this information to decide how much they will pay you each week while you are unemployed.

Every state has its own rules for this calculation. But most states follow a similar process:

1. Look at your earnings from a specific time period (usually the first four of the last five completed calendar quarters before you applied)
2. Find your highest earning quarter
3. Divide that amount by a set number to find your weekly benefit amount
4. Compare that to the state's minimum and maximum weekly amounts

Understanding your base period and high quarter

Your base period is the time window a state looks at to calculate your benefits. In most states, this covers the first four of the last five completed quarters before you file for unemployment.

Your high quarter is the three-month period when you earned the most money. States often use this quarter to help calculate your weekly benefit amount.

The formula: From earnings to weekly payments

Most states divide your highest quarter earnings by a specific number to get your weekly benefit. For example, a state might divide your high quarter by 25 or 26. This means if you earned $6,500 in your highest quarter, and your state divides by 26, your weekly benefit would be around $250.

However, your state also sets a minimum and maximum weekly amount. Even if the formula gives you a higher number, you cannot get more than the state maximum. And you cannot get less than the state minimum.

What counts as earnings

Your wages from your employer are the main thing states look at. This includes:

• Regular hourly wages or salary
• Overtime pay
• Bonuses
• Commissions

Self-employment income usually does not count for regular unemployment insurance.

Your state's specific rules

Because each state runs its own unemployment program, the exact calculation can be different. Some states may use a different formula, different base period, or different minimum and maximum amounts.

To find out how much you might get, visit your state's workforce agency website or contact them directly. You can also apply for unemployment to get an official calculation. Applying is free, and only your state workforce agency decides if you qualify.

When you might get more or less

Your state may adjust your benefit amount if:

• You have work-related income while collecting benefits (some states reduce your payment)
• You have not worked long enough to qualify (some states have work history requirements)
• You quit your job or were fired for cause (you may not qualify at all)

How long you can collect benefits

How long you can receive unemployment payments is separate from how much you get. This depends on your state's rules and how long you worked for your previous employer.

If you have lost your job, we can help you understand your next steps.