Last verified: October 12, 2026 · By StateWise Research Desk · 51 jurisdictions · Every figure below was checked against an official source — the state’s workforce agency or the U.S. Department of Labor.
Maximum weekly unemployment insurance benefits for all 50 states and the District of Columbia in one comparison table. Each state sets its own maximum; 25 states changed theirs during 2026.
Key takeaways
- Highest maximum: Washington $1,208/week. Lowest: Mississippi $235/week.
- 25 of 51 jurisdictions changed their maximum during 2026 — 11 effective Jan 1 and 14 mid-year.
- 26 weeks is the standard maximum duration; Massachusetts pays up to 30 weeks, while Arkansas and Florida cap at 12.
- Amounts shown are the base maximum before any dependent allowances.
In 2026, maximum weekly unemployment benefits run from $235 in Mississippi to $1,208 in Washington. 25 states changed their maximum during 2026.
Figures cross-checked against state workforce agencies and the U.S. Department of Labor.
| Effective | Next change | Notes & Source | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama NO CHANGE | $275/week max | — | — | Max $275 / min $45; duration 14-20 weeks tied to state UR; no dependents’ allowance. adol.alabama.gov |
| Alaska NO CHANGE | $370/week max | — | — | 16-26 weeks by earnings ratio; +$24/dependent up to 3 deps ($442 max w/3 deps). LABOR.ALASKA.GOV |
| Arizona NO CHANGE | $320/week max | — | — | Up to 24 weeks; min $229; no dependent allowance. des.az.gov |
| Arkansas NO CHANGE | $451/week max | — | — | Max $451 / min $81; max 12 weeks; no dependents’ allowance. dws.arkansas.gov |
| California NO CHANGE | $450/week max | — | — | $40 min; up to 26 weeks; $450 statutory cap unchanged since 2005. edd.ca.gov |
| Colorado CHANGED MID-YEAR | $884/week max | July 1, 2026 | Indexed annually — next July 1, 2027 | Up to 26 weeks (13-26 by formula); min $25. cdle.colorado.gov |
| Connecticut NO CHANGE | $721/week max | Oct 1, 2024 (frozen through Oct 1, 2028) | Frozen through Oct 1, 2028 | 26 weeks; min $44; +$15/dependent up to 5 ($796 max with dependents). portal.ct.gov |
| Delaware NO CHANGE | $450/week max | — | — | $20 min; normally 26x WBA; $450 cap set by 2023 HB 49. labor.delaware.gov |
| District of Columbia NO CHANGE | $444/week max | — | — | 26 weeks; min $50; statutory amount, not indexed. unemployment.dc.gov |
| Florida NO CHANGE | $275/week max | — | — | Max $275 / min $32; duration 9-12 weeks tied to state UR; no dependents’ allowance. floridajobs.org |
| Georgia NO CHANGE | $365/week max | — | — | Max $365 / min $55; duration 14-26 weeks by state UR; no dependents’ allowance. dol.georgia.gov |
| Hawaii CHANGED JAN 1 | $868/week max | Jan 1, 2026 | Indexed annually — next Jan 1, 2027 | 26 weeks; max recomputed yearly at 70% of statewide average weekly wage. labor.hawaii.gov |
| Idaho CHANGED JAN 1 | $624/week max | First full week of Jan 2026 | Indexed annually — next Jan 2027 | 10-26 weeks by wage ratio; max = 55% of state average weekly wage. labor.idaho.gov |
| Illinois CHANGED JAN 1 | $628/week max | Jan 1, 2026 | Indexed annually — next Jan 1, 2027 | 26 weeks. Dependent allowance raises max to $748/$859. Max = 47% of statewide avg weekly wage. ides.illinois.gov |
| Indiana NO CHANGE | $390/week max | — | — | Max set by Indiana law. Duration 26 weeks. in.gov |
| Iowa CHANGED MID-YEAR | $644/week max | July 5, 2026 | Indexed annually — next July 2027 | No-dependent max $644; up to $790 with 4+ dependents. Duration 16 weeks. workforce.iowa.gov |
| Kansas CHANGED MID-YEAR | $663/week max | July 1, 2026 | Recalculated annually — next July 1, 2027 | Duration 16-26 weeks tied to unemployment rate (currently 16 weeks). dol.ks.gov |
| Kentucky CHANGED MID-YEAR | $746/week max | July 5, 2026 | Reviewed annually — next ~July 2027 | Max $746 / min $39; duration 16-24 weeks; no dependents’ allowance. kcc.ky.gov |
| Louisiana CHANGED JAN 1 | $282/week max | Jan 1, 2026 | Indexed — next Jan 1, 2027 | Max $282 / min $35; duration 12-20 weeks by state UR; no dependents’ allowance. house.louisiana.gov |
| Maine CHANGED MID-YEAR | $649/week max | June 1, 2026 | Adjusted annually — next June 1, 2027 | 26 weeks; min $113; +$25/dependent/week, capped at 75% of WBA. maine.gov |
| Maryland NO CHANGE | $430/week max | — | — | $50 min; +$8/dependent up to 5 (capped at $430 total); 26 weeks. labor.maryland.gov |
| Massachusetts CHANGED MID-YEAR | $1,154/week max | Oct 4, 2026 | Recalculated each October — next Oct 2027 | 30 weeks max duration (only state above 26); +$25 per dependent child. mass.gov |
| Michigan CHANGED JAN 1 | $530/week max | Jan 1, 2026 | $614 on Jan 1, 2027 | Duration 26 weeks. +$19.33 per dependent, up to 5. michigan.gov |
| Minnesota CHANGED JAN 1 | $948/week max | Jan 1, 2026 | Indexed annually — next Jan 1, 2027 | Duration 26 weeks. No waiting week in MN. mn.gov |
| Mississippi NO CHANGE | $235/week max | — | — | Max $235 / min $30; 13-26 weeks; no dependents’ allowance. mdes.ms.gov |
| Missouri NO CHANGE | $320/week max | — | — | Range $35-$320/week. Max total = 20x WBA (20 weeks). labor.mo.gov |
| Montana NO CHANGE | $767/week max | July 1, 2025 (annual recomputation) | Indexed annually — next July 1, 2027 | 8-24 weeks by wage ratio; max = 66.5%/67.5% of state AWW. oui.doleta.gov |
| Nebraska NO CHANGE | $582/week max | — | Indexed annually — next Jan 1, 2027 | Total = 26x WBA or 1/3 of base-period wages, whichever is less. DOL.NEBRASKA.GOV |
| Nevada CHANGED MID-YEAR | $657/week max | July 1, 2026 | Indexed annually — next July 1, 2027 | Up to 26 weeks (8-26 by formula); min $16; max = 50% of state average weekly wage. nevadaworkforce.com |
| New Hampshire NO CHANGE | $427/week max | — | — | 26 weeks; statutory earnings-tier schedule; min $32; no dependent allowance. gencourt.state.nh.us |
| New Jersey CHANGED JAN 1 | $905/week max | Jan 1, 2026 | Recalculated annually — next Jan 1, 2027 | 26 weeks; WBA = 60% of AWW; dependent add-ons capped at $905 total. nj.gov |
| New Mexico CHANGED JAN 1 | $624/week max | Jan 1, 2026 | Indexed annually — next Jan 1, 2027 | Up to 26 weeks (14-26 by formula); min $116; +$25/dependent (max 2) raises max to $674. oui.doleta.gov |
| New York NO CHANGE | $869/week max | Oct 6, 2025 | — | 26 weeks; min $140; first increase since 2019. dol.ny.gov |
| North Carolina NO CHANGE | $350/week max | — | — | Max $350 / min $15; $350 cap set in 2013; duration 12-20 weeks by state UR; no dependents’ allowance. governor.nc.gov |
| North Dakota NO CHANGE | $815/week max | July 1, 2025 | Indexed annually — next July 1, 2027 | Max $815 = 65% of CY2024 AWW; min $43. Duration 12-26 weeks. jobsnd.com |
| Ohio NO CHANGE | $624/week max | Jan 1, 2026 | Set annually — next Jan 2027 | $624 is Class A (0 dependents); Class B $757, Class C $842 per ODJFS 2026 determination. Duration 20-26 weeks. ODJFS |
| Oklahoma CHANGED JAN 1 | $649/week max | Jan 1, 2026 | Set annually — next Jan 1, 2027 | 16 weeks fixed; min $16; no dependent allowance. oui.doleta.gov |
| Oregon CHANGED MID-YEAR | $902/week max | June 28, 2026 | Indexed annually — next June 2027 | 26 weeks; max = 64% of state average weekly wage, reset each June. Oregon Employment Dept. |
| Pennsylvania NO CHANGE | $605/week max | — | — | 18-26 weeks by credit weeks; min $68; +$8 with dependents ($613 max). pa.gov |
| Rhode Island CHANGED MID-YEAR | $777/week max | July 1, 2026 | Recalculated each June — next July 1, 2027 | 26 weeks; min $82; dependent allowance raises max to $971. dlt.ri.gov |
| South Carolina NO CHANGE | $350/week max | — | — | Max $350 / min $42; up to 20 weeks; no dependents’ allowance. dew.sc.gov |
| South Dakota CHANGED MID-YEAR | $575/week max | July 5, 2026 | Indexed annually — next July 2027 | $28-$575 range. Max = 50% of state AWW. Total = 1/3 of base-period wages, max 26x WBA. dlr.sd.gov |
| Tennessee NO CHANGE | $325/week max | — | — | Max $325 / min $55; duration 12-20 weeks by state UR; no dependents’ allowance. tn.gov |
| Texas CHANGED MID-YEAR | $619/week max | Oct 4, 2026 | Recomputed each October — next Oct 2027 | Up to 26 weeks (10-26 by formula); min $76; no dependent allowance. Max = 47.6% of state AWW. Texas Workforce Commission |
| Utah CHANGED JAN 1 | $806/week max | Jan 1, 2026 | Indexed annually — next Jan 1, 2027 | Up to 26 weeks (10-26 by formula); min $47; no dependent allowance. oui.doleta.gov |
| Vermont CHANGED MID-YEAR | $751/week max | July 1, 2026 | Adjusted each July — next July 1, 2027 | 26-week ceiling but variable duration; no dependent allowance. labor.vermont.gov |
| Virginia CHANGED MID-YEAR | $478/week max | July 5, 2026 | — | Max $478 / min $160 for claims filed on/after Jul 5, 2026; duration 12-26 weeks; no dependents’ allowance. vec.virginia.gov |
| Washington CHANGED MID-YEAR | $1,208/week max | July 5, 2026 | Indexed annually — next July 2027 | 26 weeks; max = 63% of state average weekly wage, reset each July. ESD.WA.GOV |
| West Virginia NO CHANGE | $662/week max | — | Max frozen by 2024 SB 841 | Max $662 / min $24; uniform 26 weeks; no dependents’ allowance. talentandculture.wvu.edu |
| Wisconsin NO CHANGE | $370/week max | — | — | Min $54 / max $370. Max benefit = 26x WBR or 40% of base-period wages. dwd.wi.gov |
| Wyoming CHANGED JAN 1 | $651/week max | Jan 1, 2026 | Indexed annually — next Jan 1, 2027 | Up to 26 weeks (11-26 by formula); min $47; no waiting week. oui.doleta.gov |
51 jurisdictions
How maximum weekly benefits work
Each state sets a maximum weekly benefit — the most you can receive per week — based on your past wages. The duration (how many weeks you can collect) also varies: 26 weeks is standard, but some states pay fewer and Massachusetts pays up to 30.
Frequently asked questions
Which state pays the most in unemployment benefits?
Washington, at $1,208/week maximum (effective July 5, 2026). Massachusetts is next at $1,154/week.
How long do unemployment benefits last?
Usually up to 26 weeks. Massachusetts allows 30; Arkansas, Florida and several others allow fewer than 26.
Do dependents increase the benefit?
In some states, yes — dependent allowances can raise the effective maximum (e.g. Rhode Island up to $971 with dependents).
Methodology
On October 12, 2026, every maximum above was read from the state's workforce/unemployment agency or the U.S. Department of Labor's 2026 comparison data. Where an official page did not state a figure (e.g. some minimum benefits), the cell shows "—" rather than a guess.
Changelog
- October 12, 2026: Page published — 2026 maximum weekly unemployment benefits for all 50 states + D.C. Notable 2026 changes: Washington $1,152 → $1,208 (Jul 5); Massachusetts $1,105 → $1,154 (Oct 4); Texas $605 → $619 (Oct 4); Virginia $378 → $430 (Jan 4) then $478 (Jul 5).
This page is general reference information, not benefits advice. Eligibility, waiting periods and duration rules vary by state. Spotted an error? See our corrections policy.