Unemployment · By state · 50 guides
The numbers, the portal, and the order of operations.
Unemployment by state.
Plain-language guides to filing for unemployment in every state. Weekly amount, duration, waiting period, and a link to the official state portal — plus what to expect after you file.
File the same week you are laid off. The waiting period begins at filing, not at your last day. Every day of delay is a day of lost income.
Northeast 9 states
- Connecticut Up to roughly $780 per week before the dependent allowance, calculated from your base-period earnings — confirm current figure with the state agency Up to 26 weeks of regular state benefits in most casesFile this week
- Maine Up to roughly $538 per week before the dependent allowance, calculated from your base-period earnings — confirm current figure with the state agency Up to 26 weeks of regular state benefits in most casesFile this week
- Massachusetts Up to roughly $1,033 per week including dependent allowances — the highest weekly maximum in the country Up to 30 weeks of regular state benefits when statewide unemployment is high, with 26 weeks the standard floor — the longest duration in the countryFile this week
- New Hampshire Up to roughly $427 per week — confirm the current figure with NHES, as New Hampshire reviews the maximum periodically Up to 26 weeks of regular state benefits in most casesFile this week
- Rhode Island Up to roughly $705 per week, with a small dependent allowance — confirm the current figure with DLT, as Rhode Island updates the maximum each July Up to 26 weeks of regular state benefits in most casesFile this week
- Vermont Up to roughly $762 per week — confirm the current figure with VDOL, as Vermont updates the maximum each July Up to 26 weeks of regular state benefits in most casesFile this week
- New Jersey Up to roughly $854 per week — confirm the current figure with NJDOL, as New Jersey updates the maximum each January Up to 26 weeks of regular state benefits in most casesFile this week
- New York $104 to $504 per week, calculated from your earnings in the highest-earning quarter of your base period Up to 26 weeks of regular state benefits in most casesFile this week
- Pennsylvania Up to roughly $605 per week, with a small dependent allowance — confirm the current figure with L&I, as Pennsylvania updates the maximum each January Up to 26 weeks of regular state benefits in most casesFile this week
South 16 states
- Delaware Up to roughly $450 per week, calculated from your base-period earnings — confirm current figure with the state agency Up to 26 weeks of regular state benefits in most casesFile this week
- Florida Up to $275 per week, calculated from your earnings in the highest-earning quarter of your base period — one of the lowest caps in the country Up to 12 weeks of regular state benefits when statewide unemployment is low, with the maximum extending to 23 weeks during higher-unemployment periodsFile this week
- Georgia Up to $365 per week, calculated from your earnings in the two highest quarters of your base period Up to 14 weeks of regular state benefits when statewide unemployment is low, with the maximum extending to 26 weeks during higher-unemployment periodsFile this week
- Maryland Up to $430 per week before the dependent allowance, calculated from your highest-earning base-period quarter Up to 26 weeks of regular state benefits in most casesFile this week
- North Carolina Up to roughly $600 per week — confirm the current figure with DES, as North Carolina updates the maximum each August Between 12 and 20 weeks, on a sliding scale based on the state's unemployment rate when you fileFile this week
- South Carolina Up to roughly $326 per week — one of the lower caps in the country. Confirm the current figure with DEW Up to 20 weeks of regular state benefits, shorter than the federal 26-week standardFile this week
- Virginia Up to roughly $378 per week — confirm the current figure with VEC, as Virginia reviews the maximum periodically Between 12 and 26 weeks, on a sliding scale based on the state unemployment rate when you fileFile this week
- West Virginia Up to roughly $662 per week — confirm the current figure with WorkForce West Virginia, as the state updates the maximum annually Up to 26 weeks of regular state benefits in most casesFile this week
- Alabama Up to roughly $275 per week, calculated from your earnings in the highest two quarters of your base period Up to 14 weeks of regular state benefits when statewide unemployment is low, with the maximum extending to 20 weeks during higher-unemployment periodsFile this week
- Kentucky Up to roughly $665 per week, calculated from your base-period earnings — confirm current figure with the state agency Between 12 and 24 weeks depending on the statewide unemployment rate, with higher rates triggering longer durationsFile this week
- Mississippi Up to $235 per week, calculated from your base-period earnings — the lowest cap in the country Up to 26 weeks of regular state benefits in most casesFile this week
- Tennessee Up to roughly $275 per week — one of the lowest caps in the country. Confirm the current figure with TDLWD Between 13 and 26 weeks, on a sliding scale tied to the state unemployment rateFile this week
- Arkansas Up to roughly $451 per week, calculated from your base-period earnings — confirm current figure with the state agency Up to 12 weeks of regular state benefits, after a 2023 reduction from 16 weeksFile this week
- Louisiana Up to $275 per week, calculated from your base-period earnings — one of the lowest caps in the country Between 12 and 20 weeks depending on the statewide unemployment rate, after Louisiana's 2024 reduction from 26 weeksFile this week
- Oklahoma Up to roughly $539 per week — confirm the current figure with OESC, as Oklahoma updates the maximum annually Up to 26 weeks of regular state benefits in most casesFile this week
- Texas $74 to roughly $591 per week, calculated from your earnings in the highest-earning quarter of your base period — confirm the current cap with TWC Up to 26 weeks of regular state benefits in most casesFile this week
Midwest 12 states
- Illinois Up to roughly $578 for a single claimant, with additional amounts for a non-working spouse (up to ~$688) and dependent children (up to ~$787) — confirm current figures with IDES Up to 26 weeks of regular state benefits in most casesFile this week
- Indiana Up to $390 per week, calculated from your base-period earnings Up to 26 weeks of regular state benefits in most casesFile this week
- Michigan Up to roughly $614 per week including dependent allowances under Michigan's 2024 reform — confirm current figure with UIA Up to 26 weeks of regular state benefits, restored from the previous 20-week limit by 2024 legislationFile this week
- Ohio Up to roughly $583 per week for a single filer, with higher caps for those with dependents — confirm the current figure with ODJFS Up to 26 weeks of regular state benefits in most casesFile this week
- Wisconsin Up to roughly $370 per week — confirm the current figure with DWD, as Wisconsin reviews the maximum periodically Up to 26 weeks of regular state benefits in most casesFile this week
- Iowa Up to roughly $714 for a claimant with four dependents, with single-claimant maximums lower — confirm current figures with IWD Up to 16 weeks of regular state benefits, after a 2022 reduction from 26 weeksFile this week
- Kansas Up to roughly $589 per week, calculated from your highest-earning base-period quarter — confirm current figure with KDOL Between 16 and 26 weeks depending on the statewide unemployment rate, with higher rates triggering longer durationsFile this week
- Minnesota Up to roughly $890 per week, calculated from your base-period earnings — confirm current figure with DEED Up to 26 weeks of regular state benefits in most casesFile this week
- Missouri Up to $320 per week, calculated from your base-period earnings — confirm current figure with DES Between 13 and 20 weeks depending on the statewide unemployment rate, after Missouri's 2022 reduction from 20 weeksFile this week
- Nebraska Up to roughly $514 per week — confirm the current figure with the state agency, as Nebraska updates the maximum annually Up to 26 weeks of regular state benefits in most casesFile this week
- North Dakota Up to roughly $748 per week — confirm the current figure with JSND, as North Dakota updates the maximum each July Up to 26 weeks of regular state benefits in most casesFile this week
- South Dakota Up to roughly $577 per week — confirm the current figure with DLR, as South Dakota updates the maximum annually Up to 26 weeks of regular state benefits in most casesFile this week
West 13 states
- Arizona Up to $320 per week, calculated from your earnings in the highest-earning quarter of your base period Up to 26 weeks of regular state benefits in most casesFile this week
- Colorado Up to roughly $781 per week, calculated from the higher of two base-period formulas — confirm current figure with the state agency Up to 26 weeks of regular state benefits in most casesFile this week
- Idaho Up to roughly $532 per week, calculated from your base-period earnings — confirm current figure with the state agency Up to 20 weeks of regular state benefits, with the maximum tied to the statewide unemployment rateFile this week
- Montana Up to roughly $689 per week — confirm the current figure with the state agency, as Montana adjusts the maximum each July Up to 28 weeks of regular state benefits in most cases — slightly longer than the federal standardFile this week
- Nevada Up to roughly $603 per week — confirm the current figure with DETR, as Nevada updates the maximum each July Up to 26 weeks of regular state benefits in most casesFile this week
- New Mexico Up to roughly $584 per week — confirm the current figure with DWS, as New Mexico updates the maximum annually Up to 26 weeks of regular state benefits in most casesFile this week
- Utah Up to roughly $777 per week — confirm the current figure with DWS, as Utah updates the maximum each July Between 10 and 26 weeks, on a sliding scale based on the state unemployment rate when you fileFile this week
- Wyoming Up to roughly $595 per week — confirm the current figure with DWS, as Wyoming updates the maximum each July Up to 26 weeks of regular state benefits in most casesFile this week
- Alaska $56 to $370 per week, with a small additional dependent allowance, calculated from your base-period earnings Up to 26 weeks of regular state benefits in most casesFile this week
- California $40 to $450 per week, calculated from your earnings in the highest-earning quarter of your base period Up to 26 weeks of regular state benefits in most casesFile this week
- Hawaii Up to roughly $763 per week, calculated from your highest-earning base-period quarter — confirm current figure with the state agency Up to 26 weeks of regular state benefits in most casesFile this week
- Oregon Up to roughly $836 per week — confirm the current figure with OED, as Oregon updates the maximum each July Up to 26 weeks of regular state benefits in most casesFile this week
- Washington Up to roughly $1,079 per week — among the highest caps in the country. Confirm the current figure with ESD, as Washington updates the maximum each July Up to 26 weeks of regular state benefits in most casesFile this week
After you file
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