{
  "slug": "unemployment-benefit-estimate",
  "title": "Unemployment Weekly Benefit Estimator",
  "heading": "Unemployment Benefit Calculator",
  "category": "financial",
  "url": "https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/unemployment-benefit-estimate",
  "summary": "Estimate your weekly unemployment check from your highest-earning quarter.",
  "description": "State unemployment insurance (UI) programs calculate your weekly benefit amount (WBA) from wages earned in a base period, usually the first four of the last five completed calendar quarters. Most states use a formula close to 1/26 of your highest quarter's wages, or roughly 47-50% of your average weekly wage, capped at a state maximum that varies enormously — from around $275 in Mississippi to over $1,000 in Massachusetts. This estimator applies a generic percentage-of-highest-quarter method used by many states, then caps the result against the maximum and minimum you enter. It also projects your total benefit for the standard 26-week base period before any pandemic-style extensions. This is a planning estimate only. Every state has its own statute, some use annual wages instead of quarterly, and eligibility depends on separately proving you lost work through no fault of your own and meet minimum earnings thresholds. Check your state workforce agency's calculator before making decisions.",
  "formula": "WBA = min(max, highest quarter wages ÷ 26); capped at state max/min; total = WBA × weeks.",
  "dateModified": "2026-09-30",
  "run_url": "https://www.revenuelab.fyi/api/public/calc?tool=unemployment-benefit-estimate",
  "inputs": [
    {
      "id": "highQuarter",
      "label": "Highest-earning quarter wages",
      "kind": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "default": 13000,
      "unit": "$",
      "min": 0,
      "max": null
    },
    {
      "id": "pctMethod",
      "label": "State divisor (weeks in formula)",
      "kind": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "default": 26,
      "unit": null,
      "min": 20,
      "max": 52
    },
    {
      "id": "maxWBA",
      "label": "State max weekly benefit",
      "kind": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "default": 445,
      "unit": "$",
      "min": 100,
      "max": null
    },
    {
      "id": "minWBA",
      "label": "State min weekly benefit",
      "kind": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "default": 40,
      "unit": "$",
      "min": 0,
      "max": null
    },
    {
      "id": "weeks",
      "label": "Maximum benefit weeks",
      "kind": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "default": 26,
      "unit": null,
      "min": 12,
      "max": 30
    },
    {
      "id": "partialEarnings",
      "label": "Weekly part-time earnings (if any)",
      "kind": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "default": 0,
      "unit": "$",
      "min": 0,
      "max": null
    }
  ],
  "outputs": [
    {
      "id": "wba",
      "label": "Estimated weekly benefit",
      "format": "currency",
      "hint": null,
      "primary": true
    },
    {
      "id": "reduced",
      "label": "Benefit if working part-time",
      "format": "currency",
      "hint": null,
      "primary": false
    },
    {
      "id": "weeklyTotal",
      "label": "Total weekly income (benefit + work)",
      "format": "currency",
      "hint": null,
      "primary": false
    },
    {
      "id": "total",
      "label": "Max total benefit over base period",
      "format": "currency",
      "hint": null,
      "primary": false
    },
    {
      "id": "weeks",
      "label": "Weeks of eligibility used",
      "format": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "primary": false
    }
  ],
  "worked_example": {
    "inputs": [
      "Highest-earning quarter wages: 13000 $",
      "State divisor (weeks in formula): 26",
      "State max weekly benefit: 445 $",
      "State min weekly benefit: 40 $",
      "Maximum benefit weeks: 26",
      "Weekly part-time earnings (if any): 0 $"
    ],
    "outputs": [
      "Estimated weekly benefit: $445",
      "Benefit if working part-time: $445",
      "Total weekly income (benefit + work): $445",
      "Max total benefit over base period: $11,570",
      "Weeks of eligibility used: 26"
    ]
  },
  "how_to": {
    "title": "How to use this",
    "steps": [
      "Enter highest-earning quarter wages ($).",
      "Enter state divisor (weeks in formula).",
      "Enter state max weekly benefit ($).",
      "Enter state min weekly benefit ($).",
      "Enter maximum benefit weeks.",
      "Enter weekly part-time earnings (if any) ($).",
      "Read your estimated weekly benefit on the right — it updates as you type.",
      "Hit Share to keep the scenario or send it to someone."
    ]
  },
  "scenarios": [
    {
      "name": "Conservative",
      "description": "Lower-end numbers — what if things land soft?",
      "values": {
        "highQuarter": 7800,
        "pctMethod": 20,
        "maxWBA": 265,
        "minWBA": 25,
        "weeks": 16,
        "partialEarnings": 0
      }
    },
    {
      "name": "Typical",
      "description": "Defaults — the most common real-world setup.",
      "values": {
        "highQuarter": 13000,
        "pctMethod": 26,
        "maxWBA": 445,
        "minWBA": 40,
        "weeks": 26,
        "partialEarnings": 0
      }
    },
    {
      "name": "Ambitious",
      "description": "Higher-end numbers — what if things really pop?",
      "values": {
        "highQuarter": 20800,
        "pctMethod": 42,
        "maxWBA": 710,
        "minWBA": 65,
        "weeks": 30,
        "partialEarnings": 0
      }
    }
  ],
  "limitations": [
    "Results are estimates before tax, fees, and inflation unless an input explicitly covers them.",
    "Rates are treated as fixed for the whole period — variable-rate products will drift from this projection.",
    "This is educational maths, not financial advice. Check anything contractual with the lender or your accountant."
  ],
  "faq": [
    {
      "q": "Why did my state's calculator give a different number?",
      "a": "Every state uses its own formula — some divide the highest quarter by 26, others average two quarters, others use annual wages times a percentage. This tool approximates the most common highest-quarter method; use it for ballpark planning and confirm with your state workforce agency's official estimator before budgeting around it."
    },
    {
      "q": "Does part-time work while collecting UI reduce my check?",
      "a": "Yes, almost every state reduces your weekly benefit once part-time earnings exceed a disregard amount, often 20-33% of your WBA or a flat dollar figure. Above that threshold benefits typically reduce dollar-for-dollar or by a fraction, and you must still report all earnings weekly or risk overpayment penalties."
    },
    {
      "q": "How long can I collect unemployment?",
      "a": "Most states offer 26 weeks of regular benefits, though a handful (like Florida and North Carolina) cap it lower, sometimes tied to the state's unemployment rate. Extended benefits triggered during high unemployment periods, or emergency federal programs during recessions, can add weeks but are not guaranteed."
    },
    {
      "q": "What counts as the base period?",
      "a": "Typically the first four of the last five completed calendar quarters before you filed your claim, which excludes very recent work. If you don't have enough wages in that window, some states offer an 'alternate base period' using more recent quarters instead."
    }
  ],
  "related": [
    "https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/ssdi-vs-ssi-comparison",
    "https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/fpl-percentage-calculator"
  ],
  "license": "CC-BY-4.0",
  "citation": "RevenueLab — Unemployment Weekly Benefit Estimator (https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/unemployment-benefit-estimate)"
}