Minnesota Unemployment Calculator
As of October 19, 2026, regular Minnesota unemployment pays $37 to $948 a week for 9 to 26 weeks. Those caps apply to benefit accounts established through October 24, 2026. Accounts established from October 25, 2026 get new caps, and a claimant keeps the caps in force when the account opened. 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)
$37 to $611 / $948
Two caps: high-quarter formula and total-wages formula. Effective October 26, 2025
Maximum weeks
9 to 26
Regular state benefits only
State income tax on benefits
Taxable
Federal income tax applies in every state
Minnesota 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 Minnesota estimate.
How much does unemployment pay in Minnesota?
Minnesota pays the higher of two amounts. One is 50 percent of your average weekly wage over the base period (total wage credits divided by 52), capped at 66-2/3 percent of the state average weekly wage, which DOL lists as $948.
The other is 50 percent of your average weekly wage in the high quarter (high quarter wage credits divided by 13), capped at 43 percent of the state average weekly wage, which DOL lists as $611.
The state maximum applies to benefit accounts established from the last Sunday in October, so the figure can change on October 25, 2026. The calculator rounds down to the dollar.
Minnesota uses the first four of the last five completed calendar quarters. The pages we could read do not describe an alternate base period, so ask DEED if you recently started working.
Minnesota unemployment eligibility: the wage tests
These are the monetary tests only. Minnesota also decides whether you lost your job through no fault of your own and whether you are able and available to work.
- Wage credits of at least 5.3 percent of the state average annual wage, rounded down to the next $100. We use $3,900, which follows from the average wage behind the $948 cap.
Maximum weeks and maximum benefit amount
The maximum benefit amount is the lower of 33-1/3 percent of your total wage credits and 26 times the weekly amount, so claims run 9 to 26 weeks.
Working part time while collecting
The DOL July 2026 compilation says the weekly benefit amount is reduced by 50 cents for every dollar earned. This calculator does not estimate partial payments.
Are Minnesota unemployment benefits taxable?
Unemployment benefits are taxable income on your federal return in every state. Unemployment benefits are taxable income under both federal and Minnesota law. DEED offers withholding of 15 percent for federal and Minnesota tax, 10 percent for federal only, or none, and sends a Form 1099-G by January 31.
How to apply in Minnesota
Apply online with Unemployment Insurance Minnesota (DEED). You request benefits every week.
Unemployment Insurance Minnesota
When this changes: Minnesota resets the maximum for accounts established on or after the last Sunday of October (October 25, 2026). Maximum reset for accounts established on or after the last Sunday of October (October 25, 2026).
Frequently asked questions
How much does unemployment pay in Minnesota?
Regular Minnesota unemployment pays between $37 and $948 a week as of October 19, 2026 (the $611 cap applies to the high-quarter formula and $948 to the total-wages formula). Those caps apply to benefit accounts established through October 24, 2026. Accounts established from October 25, 2026 get new caps, and a claimant keeps the caps in force when the account opened. Your amount depends on the wages you were paid in your base period. Minnesota pays the higher of two amounts. One is 50 percent of your average weekly wage over the base period (total wage credits divided by 52), capped at 66-2/3 percent of the state average weekly wage, which DOL lists as $948.
How is the Minnesota weekly benefit amount calculated?
Minnesota pays the higher of two amounts. One is 50 percent of your average weekly wage over the base period (total wage credits divided by 52), capped at 66-2/3 percent of the state average weekly wage, which DOL lists as $948. The other is 50 percent of your average weekly wage in the high quarter (high quarter wage credits divided by 13), capped at 43 percent of the state average weekly wage, which DOL lists as $611. The state maximum applies to benefit accounts established from the last Sunday in October, so the figure can change on October 25, 2026. The calculator rounds down to the dollar.
How long can I collect unemployment in Minnesota?
The maximum benefit amount is the lower of 33-1/3 percent of your total wage credits and 26 times the weekly amount, so claims run 9 to 26 weeks.
Are unemployment benefits taxable in Minnesota?
Unemployment benefits are taxable income under both federal and Minnesota law. DEED offers withholding of 15 percent for federal and Minnesota tax, 10 percent for federal only, or none, and sends a Form 1099-G by January 31.
Can I work part time and still get Minnesota unemployment?
The DOL July 2026 compilation says the weekly benefit amount is reduced by 50 cents for every dollar earned. This calculator does not estimate partial payments.
When does the Minnesota maximum weekly benefit change?
Minnesota ties the maximum to the state average weekly wage and applies it to benefit accounts established on or after the last Sunday in October. A new figure takes effect for accounts started from October 25, 2026, and a claimant keeps the amount set when the account opened.
Sources for Minnesota
- Minnesota Statutes 268.07, benefit accountFormula, maximum benefit amount, October timing, wage-credit test
- Minnesota Statutes 268.035, definitionsState average weekly wage and when it applies
- UIMN: Year-end tax informationFederal and Minnesota tax treatment and withholding options
- U.S. DOL, Significant Provisions of State UI Laws (July 2026)Cross-check of minimum, maximum, weeks and the partial-benefit disregard
Sources checked October 19, 2026.
Verification note: uimn.org could not be opened from our build environment. The $611 and $948 caps, the $37 minimum and the 50-cent partial rule come from the DOL compilation, and the tax treatment comes from a search excerpt of the UIMN year-end tax page. The statute pages above were read directly. The statute does not state a rounding rule, so the calculator rounds down.