New Jersey Unemployment Calculator
As of October 19, 2026, regular New Jersey unemployment pays $186 to $905 a week for 20 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)
$186 to $905
Effective January 1, 2026
Maximum weeks
20 to 26
Regular state benefits only
State income tax on benefits
Not taxed by the state
Federal income tax applies in every state
New Jersey 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 New Jersey estimate.
The state also runs its own estimator: NJDOL benefit calculator page.
How much does unemployment pay in New Jersey?
New Jersey divides your base year wages by the number of base weeks you worked to get your average weekly wage. The weekly benefit rate is 60 percent of that, rounded down to the dollar, up to a 2026 maximum of $905.
A base week is a week with earnings at or above the 2026 threshold of $310. The $186 minimum is 60 percent of that threshold.
Dependency benefits add 7 percent for the first dependent and 4 percent for each of the next two (15 percent at most), rounded down, and only up to the $905 maximum.
New Jersey uses a standard base year of the first four of the last five completed quarters. It has other ways of building a base year for people who do not qualify, including after a period of disability; see the NJDOL page on alternate base years.
New Jersey unemployment eligibility: the wage tests
These are the monetary tests only. New Jersey also decides whether you lost your job through no fault of your own and whether you are able and available to work.
- At least 20 base weeks with earnings of $310 or more in 2026, or
- at least $15,500 in total base year wages.
Maximum weeks and maximum benefit amount
The maximum benefit amount is the number of base weeks you worked (up to 26) times your weekly rate. Most claimants qualify with 20 or more base weeks and get 20 to 26 weeks; someone who qualifies through the $15,500 wage test with fewer base weeks gets fewer. Nobody can receive more than 26 times the maximum rate, $23,530 for 2026.
Working part time while collecting
Earnings up to 20 percent of your weekly rate do not reduce your payment. Above that, your payment is your rate plus 20 percent minus your gross earnings. Example from NJDOL: a $500 rate and $200 of earnings pays $400. You also cannot work more than 80 percent of your normal hours.
Are New Jersey unemployment benefits taxable?
Unemployment benefits are taxable income on your federal return in every state. New Jersey does not tax unemployment benefits. They are subject to federal income tax, and you can choose 10 percent federal withholding.
How to apply in New Jersey
Apply online with the NJDOL Division of Unemployment Insurance. Ask for dependency benefits within six weeks of your claim date.
File for New Jersey unemployment
When this changes: New Jersey resets the maximum and the earnings thresholds every January 1. Maximum and earnings thresholds reset every January 1.
Frequently asked questions
How much does unemployment pay in New Jersey?
Regular New Jersey unemployment pays between $186 and $905 a week as of October 19, 2026. Your amount depends on the wages you were paid in your base period. New Jersey divides your base year wages by the number of base weeks you worked to get your average weekly wage. The weekly benefit rate is 60 percent of that, rounded down to the dollar, up to a 2026 maximum of $905.
How is the New Jersey weekly benefit amount calculated?
New Jersey divides your base year wages by the number of base weeks you worked to get your average weekly wage. The weekly benefit rate is 60 percent of that, rounded down to the dollar, up to a 2026 maximum of $905. A base week is a week with earnings at or above the 2026 threshold of $310. The $186 minimum is 60 percent of that threshold. Dependency benefits add 7 percent for the first dependent and 4 percent for each of the next two (15 percent at most), rounded down, and only up to the $905 maximum.
How long can I collect unemployment in New Jersey?
The maximum benefit amount is the number of base weeks you worked (up to 26) times your weekly rate. Most claimants qualify with 20 or more base weeks and get 20 to 26 weeks; someone who qualifies through the $15,500 wage test with fewer base weeks gets fewer. Nobody can receive more than 26 times the maximum rate, $23,530 for 2026.
Are unemployment benefits taxable in New Jersey?
New Jersey does not tax unemployment benefits. They are subject to federal income tax, and you can choose 10 percent federal withholding.
Can I work part time and still get New Jersey unemployment?
Earnings up to 20 percent of your weekly rate do not reduce your payment. Above that, your payment is your rate plus 20 percent minus your gross earnings. Example from NJDOL: a $500 rate and $200 of earnings pays $400. You also cannot work more than 80 percent of your normal hours.
How do I get dependency benefits in New Jersey?
Apply for them within six weeks of your claim date, or you cannot receive them for the rest of the claim. Dependency benefits apply only when your rate is below the maximum and cover an unemployed spouse or civil union partner, or an unmarried child under 19 (22 if a full-time student).
Sources for New Jersey
- NJDOL: How we calculate benefits (Benefit Calculator)2026 maximum, $310 and $15,500 tests, maximum benefit, partial benefits and examples
- NJDOL: Dependency benefits7, 4 and 4 percent allowance and rules
- NJDOL: Federal income taxes on benefitsState and federal tax treatment
- N.J.S.A. 43:21-3 (Justia)Rounding down to the dollar
- 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: The rounding rule (down to the next lower dollar) and the definition of average weekly wage come from the statute as described in an excerpt of the Justia copy of N.J.S.A. 43:21-3 and 43:21-19, not from a NJDOL page. The calculator divides base year wages by the base weeks you enter; NJDOL decides which weeks count.