Connecticut Unemployment Calculator
As of October 19, 2026, regular Connecticut unemployment pays $44 to $721 a week for up to 26 weeks. Enter your wages for the four quarters of your base period to estimate your weekly benefit, your maximum total benefit and which rule capped it.
Maintained by Archie Chang · Formulas and sources checked October 19, 2026 · Methodology & sources
Weekly benefit range (October 19, 2026)
$44 to $721
Effective January 1, 2026
Maximum weeks
26
Regular state benefits only
State income tax on benefits
Taxable
Federal income tax applies in every state
Connecticut unemployment benefit calculator
Which months are my four quarters?
The standard base period is the first four of the last five completed calendar quarters before you file. The quarter you file in, and the one just before it, are left out. Enter the quarters in order, oldest first. Each quarter is three calendar months: January to March, April to June, July to September, October to December.
| If you file in | Your base period is |
|---|---|
| January to March 2026 | October 2024 to September 2025 |
| April to June 2026 | January to December 2025 |
| July to September 2026 | April 2025 to March 2026 |
| October to December 2026 | July 2025 to June 2026 |
Use gross wages (before taxes) from every covered job, in the quarter they were earned. If your wages are too low under this period, many states test an alternate base period made of the last four completed quarters.
Enter your wages above to see your Connecticut estimate.
How much does unemployment pay in Connecticut?
Connecticut takes one twenty-sixth of the average of your wages in the two highest base period quarters and rounds down to the dollar. The minimum is $44 for 2026 and the maximum is $721.
A dependency allowance adds $15 a week for a nonworking spouse living with you and for each qualifying child, up to five dependents, and never more than the weekly rate itself. That makes $796 the most a claimant can get.
The base period is the first four of the last five completed calendar quarters. The CTDOL pages we read do not describe an alternate base period, so ask CTDOL if you fall short.
Connecticut unemployment eligibility: the wage tests
These are the monetary tests only. Connecticut also decides whether you lost your job through no fault of your own and whether you are able and available to work.
- Base period wages of at least 40 times your weekly rate, which is $1,760 at the $44 minimum.
Maximum weeks and maximum benefit amount
Connecticut pays up to 26 times the weekly rate in a benefit year, which is 26 weeks. Weeks you work part time can stretch the same total over more than 26 weeks.
Working part time while collecting
Connecticut reduces your weekly rate by two thirds of your earnings for the week (rounded up to the dollar), and a week is partial only when your earnings are under 1.5 times the rate. Example: a $300 rate and $150 of earnings pays $200.
Are Connecticut unemployment benefits taxable?
Unemployment benefits are taxable income on your federal return in every state. CTDOL says unemployment benefits are taxable by both the federal and Connecticut governments. You choose whether to have taxes withheld, and you receive a Form 1099-G.
How to apply in Connecticut
File online through ReEmployCT and request benefits every week. Report any dependents when you file, because that sets the dependency allowance.
When this changes: Connecticut re-indexes the minimum rate each January; the maximum stays at $721 until the first Sunday of October 2028. The minimum rate is re-indexed each January 1; the $721 maximum is frozen until the first Sunday of October 2028. A 2026 bill to raise the dependency allowance from $15 was introduced; recheck whether it passed.
Frequently asked questions
How much does unemployment pay in Connecticut?
Regular Connecticut unemployment pays between $44 and $721 a week as of October 19, 2026. Your amount depends on the wages you were paid in your base period. Connecticut takes one twenty-sixth of the average of your wages in the two highest base period quarters and rounds down to the dollar. The minimum is $44 for 2026 and the maximum is $721.
How is the Connecticut weekly benefit amount calculated?
Connecticut takes one twenty-sixth of the average of your wages in the two highest base period quarters and rounds down to the dollar. The minimum is $44 for 2026 and the maximum is $721. A dependency allowance adds $15 a week for a nonworking spouse living with you and for each qualifying child, up to five dependents, and never more than the weekly rate itself. That makes $796 the most a claimant can get.
How long can I collect unemployment in Connecticut?
Connecticut pays up to 26 times the weekly rate in a benefit year, which is 26 weeks. Weeks you work part time can stretch the same total over more than 26 weeks.
Are unemployment benefits taxable in Connecticut?
CTDOL says unemployment benefits are taxable by both the federal and Connecticut governments. You choose whether to have taxes withheld, and you receive a Form 1099-G.
Can I work part time and still get Connecticut unemployment?
Connecticut reduces your weekly rate by two thirds of your earnings for the week (rounded up to the dollar), and a week is partial only when your earnings are under 1.5 times the rate. Example: a $300 rate and $150 of earnings pays $200.
Can the Connecticut maximum go up in 2026?
No. Connecticut law freezes the maximum weekly rate for benefit years that start from the first Sunday of October 2024 until the first Sunday of October 2028, so it stays at $721. The minimum is indexed and rose from $42 to $44 on January 1, 2026.
Sources for Connecticut
- Connecticut General Statutes, chapter 567 (Unemployment Compensation), 2025 compilation (archived copy)Formula, minimum indexing, $721 freeze, 26 times, 40 times, allowances, partial rule
- CTDOL: A Guide to Collecting Benefits in ConnecticutTwo-quarter formula, 26 weeks, dependency allowance, taxes
- CTDOL: Information on Unemployment Tax Rate for Calendar Year 2026$44 minimum and $1,760 base period earnings for 2026
- U.S. DOL, Significant Provisions of State UI Laws (July 2026)Cross-check of minimum, maximum and allowance limits
Sources checked October 19, 2026.
Verification note: cga.ct.gov refused direct requests, so the statute text comes from an Internet Archive copy of chapter 567 that is current to the 2025 compilation (revised to January 1, 2026). The $721 maximum comes from the statute's freeze language and DOL July 2026, and a CTDOL page confirmed the $44 minimum. The statute says total allowances are limited to the weekly rate and says allowances are not part of the rate, so adding them to all 26 weeks is our reading. The construction-worker formula is not modeled.