Maximum Unemployment Benefits by State — 2026 Dataset

Methodology and limitations

State maximum weekly benefit and maximum benefit weeks come from the U.S. Department of Labor Employment and Training Administration, Significant Provisions of State Unemployment Insurance Laws, effective January 2026. Colorado, Kansas, Maine, Nevada, Oregon, South Dakota, Vermont, Virginia and Wyoming, which reset their maximum by July 2026, use the July 2026 edition of that table; Washington uses its newer July 2026 statutory maximum, and Texas uses the Texas Workforce Commission maximum for claims filed on or after October 4, 2026. Massachusetts uses the DUA base maximum for benefit years beginning on or after 2026-10-04; dependent benefits are extra. Iowa uses the Iowa Workforce Development maximum for claims from the benefit week of 2026-07-05. Montana uses the Department of Labor & Industry maximum for benefit years beginning on or after 2026-07-01, which the July 2026 DOL table does not yet show. Where the DOL prints a range, the weekly maximum is the higher figure, which includes the allowance for the largest number of dependents; the row note gives the maximum without dependents. Maximum total potential is maximum weekly benefit multiplied by maximum weeks; it is a comparison ceiling, not a claimant entitlement. Actual benefits depend on wages, eligibility, dependents, and state duration rules.

• Published maxima, not averages. The figures describe legal or published ceilings, not a typical payment.
• Total potential is derived. It multiplies the weekly maximum by maximum weeks and does not establish entitlement.
• Washington, Texas, Massachusetts, Iowa, Montana, Colorado, Kansas, Maine, Nevada, Oregon, South Dakota, Vermont, Virginia, and Wyoming are newer. Their rows use the maximum their own agency or statute set after January 2026 (see each row's source); the other rows use the January 2026 U.S. DOL comparison table.