Estimate weekly unemployment benefits by state using quarterly wages, part-time income, and state caps. See weekly, total, and net benefit projections.
Start with realistic unemployment scenarios, then adjust quarterly wages, part-time earnings, and tax withholding to match your claim.
Choose a supported state rule or national estimate mode, then enter part-time income and optional tax withholding assumptions.
Enter gross wages from the last four completed quarters. Many state unemployment formulas use the highest quarter, strongest two quarters, or total base-period wages.
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Unemployment benefits depend on your recent wages, the state where you file, and how your claim handles part-time income, benefit caps, and payment duration. This calculator estimates weekly benefits, total claim value, and optional after-tax outcomes using supported state rules plus a national estimate mode.
An unemployment calculator helps you estimate how much you may receive each week after a layoff, restructuring, or reduction in work. Most states base unemployment payments on prior wages in a base period, usually the last four completed quarters, then apply minimums, maximums, and duration rules. This calculator focuses on the numbers users care about most: weekly benefit amount, total benefit value, benefit duration, and the impact of part-time income.
Formula
See a realistic weekly unemployment estimate before you submit a claim so you can budget with less guesswork.
A weekly benefit number alone is not enough. This calculator also shows how many weeks the estimate could last and the total benefit value over the claim period.
Many claimants work reduced hours or pick up temporary income. This calculator estimates how state-specific disregard rules may reduce the weekly benefit.
Uneven quarters, commissions, and changing wages can materially change unemployment payments. Scenario outputs make those tradeoffs visible.
Estimate weekly unemployment income so you can decide how much of your rent, debt payments, groceries, and insurance the benefit may cover.
Compare supported state rules or a national estimate to understand how a different filing location changes weekly and total claim value.
Use the estimate alongside a severance package to understand how long your total cash runway might last after a layoff.
Model side income or reduced-hour work to see how part-time wages could lower your weekly unemployment payment.
Combine unemployment estimates with savings, severance, or an emergency fund to see how many months of living expenses you can realistically cover.
Most states estimate unemployment benefits from wages earned during a base period, usually the last four completed quarters before your claim. The state then applies its own formula, minimum weekly benefit, maximum weekly benefit, and maximum benefit duration.
That depends on your recent wages, your state formula, and whether your estimate is capped by the state's weekly maximum. This calculator uses supported state rules for California, Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Texas, and Washington, plus a national estimate mode.
Many states use a standard duration of up to 26 weeks, but some states offer shorter durations. Florida, for example, can be much shorter than 26 weeks, so total claim value may be lower even if the weekly estimate looks reasonable.
No. States use different wage formulas, different benefit caps, and different duration rules. Two workers with the same wages can receive very different weekly benefits depending on where they file.
Most states use gross wages from a base period before taxes and deductions. They often focus on the highest quarter, highest two quarters, or total wages during the base period. Overtime, bonuses, and commissions may affect the estimate if they were included in reported wages.
Often yes, but the weekly payment is usually reduced by some portion of your part-time earnings. States typically apply an earnings disregard first, then reduce benefits by the remaining amount.
It can. Some states treat severance as deductible income or may delay when benefits begin, especially if severance is allocated across weeks after separation. Always check your state labor agency's rules and compare severance separately from your final paycheck.
Usually yes. Unemployment benefits are taxable at the federal level and may also be taxable in your state. Many claimants choose withholding so they are not surprised at tax time.
Higher earners often reach the state cap even when the wage formula would otherwise produce a larger weekly payment. When that happens, earning more does not increase the estimate beyond the state's maximum benefit amount.