Mississippi Unemployment Calculator
As of October 19, 2026, regular Mississippi unemployment pays $30 to $235 a week for 13 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)
$30 to $235
Current figures
Maximum weeks
13 to 26
Regular state benefits only
State income tax on benefits
Taxable
Federal income tax applies in every state
Mississippi 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 Mississippi estimate.
How much does unemployment pay in Mississippi?
Mississippi divides your wages in the highest base period quarter by 26 and rounds down to the dollar. The minimum is $30 and the maximum is $235.
Only the highest quarter sets the amount, and a highest quarter of $6,110 or more reaches the $235 maximum. MDES publishes the same result as a chart: $780 to $805.99 pays $30, and $4,888 to $4,913.99 pays $188.
The base period is always the first four of the last five completed calendar quarters. If you do not qualify, MDES says to reapply after the quarter changes (the first Sunday of January, April, July or October). The pages we read describe no alternate base period.
Mississippi unemployment eligibility: the wage tests
These are the monetary tests only. Mississippi also decides whether you lost your job through no fault of your own and whether you are able and available to work.
- Wages in at least two base period quarters,
- at least $780 in the highest quarter, and
- base period wages of at least 40 times the weekly amount (the chart lists it as the qualifying amount).
Maximum weeks and maximum benefit amount
The maximum benefit in a benefit year is 26 times your weekly amount or one-third of your base period wages, whichever is lower. That is up to 26 weeks, and low or uneven wages can mean as few as about 13.
Working part time while collecting
You must report your gross earnings for the week you work. Mississippi deducts any earnings over $40 from your weekly amount, dollar for dollar. Example: a $200 weekly amount and $90 of earnings pays $150.
Are Mississippi unemployment benefits taxable?
Unemployment benefits are taxable income on your federal return in every state. MDES says benefits are taxable on your federal return and lets you elect withholding. The Mississippi Department of Revenue has said the full amount of unemployment benefits belongs in Mississippi adjusted gross income, so plan to report them on the state return as well.
How to apply in Mississippi
Register with MDES Online Services, file your claim and then certify every week. Mississippi serves a one-week waiting period with no benefit.
When this changes: Mississippi has no scheduled change; recheck if the legislature amends the benefit table. The $30 and $235 limits have been unchanged on the MDES page; recheck only if the legislature changes the benefit formula in the Mississippi Code.
Frequently asked questions
How much does unemployment pay in Mississippi?
Regular Mississippi unemployment pays between $30 and $235 a week as of October 19, 2026. Your amount depends on the wages you were paid in your base period. Mississippi divides your wages in the highest base period quarter by 26 and rounds down to the dollar. The minimum is $30 and the maximum is $235.
How is the Mississippi weekly benefit amount calculated?
Mississippi divides your wages in the highest base period quarter by 26 and rounds down to the dollar. The minimum is $30 and the maximum is $235. Only the highest quarter sets the amount, and a highest quarter of $6,110 or more reaches the $235 maximum. MDES publishes the same result as a chart: $780 to $805.99 pays $30, and $4,888 to $4,913.99 pays $188.
How long can I collect unemployment in Mississippi?
The maximum benefit in a benefit year is 26 times your weekly amount or one-third of your base period wages, whichever is lower. That is up to 26 weeks, and low or uneven wages can mean as few as about 13.
Are unemployment benefits taxable in Mississippi?
MDES says benefits are taxable on your federal return and lets you elect withholding. The Mississippi Department of Revenue has said the full amount of unemployment benefits belongs in Mississippi adjusted gross income, so plan to report them on the state return as well.
Can I work part time and still get Mississippi unemployment?
You must report your gross earnings for the week you work. Mississippi deducts any earnings over $40 from your weekly amount, dollar for dollar. Example: a $200 weekly amount and $90 of earnings pays $150.
Does Mississippi pay for the first week I am out of work?
No. MDES requires a one-week waiting period for which no benefit is paid. You still have to meet the eligibility requirements for that week.
Sources for Mississippi
- MDES: Benefit Eligibility Requirements$30 and $235, highest quarter / 26, 780, 40 times, 26 weeks or one-third
- MDES: Table of Weekly Benefit Amounts (UI-505.A)Rounding down; chart rows reproduced in our tests
- MDES: Unemployment FAQs$40 earnings rule, taxes
- U.S. DOL, Significant Provisions of State UI Laws (July 2026)Cross-check of minimum, maximum, weeks and the $40 disregard
Sources checked October 19, 2026.
Verification note: The MDES pages and chart were read directly. The chart is revision 7/2009 but its $30 minimum and $235 maximum match the current MDES page and DOL July 2026. We could not open the Mississippi Code, so the rounding and formula come from the chart and page. The state-tax sentence comes from a search excerpt of Department of Revenue guidance, not a page we read.