New Mexico Unemployment Calculator
As of October 19, 2026, regular New Mexico unemployment pays $116 to $624 a week for 14 to 26 weeks. These are the DOL July 2026 figures. New Mexico recomputes them each year for benefit years starting on or after the first Sunday of January. 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)
$116 to $624
Current figures
Maximum weeks
14 to 26
Regular state benefits only
State income tax on benefits
Taxable
Federal income tax applies in every state
New Mexico 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 Mexico estimate.
How much does unemployment pay in New Mexico?
The weekly benefit amount is 53.5 percent of your average weekly wage in your highest base period quarter (that quarter's wages divided by 13), rounded down to the dollar.
It is held between 10 percent and 53.5 percent of the state average weekly wage. DOL July 2026 lists $116 to $624. A highest quarter of $15,162.62 or more reaches the maximum.
New Mexico adds $25 a week for each of up to two dependent children, limited to half your weekly amount.
The base period is the first four of the last five completed calendar quarters. We could not confirm on a New Mexico page how the department handles a claimant whose standard base period falls short, so ask the Department of Workforce Solutions in that case.
New Mexico unemployment eligibility: the wage tests
These are the monetary tests only. New Mexico 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 $2,818.70 in your highest quarter (DOL July 2026), which is the wage that produces the $116 minimum.
Maximum weeks and maximum benefit amount
The maximum benefit is the lower of 26 times the weekly amount, plus any dependency benefits, and 60 percent of base period wages. Claims run about 14 to 26 weeks without dependents; adding dependency benefits to the 26-week side can shorten the 60 percent limit to roughly 10 weeks.
Working part time while collecting
New Mexico subtracts the part of your weekly wages or self-employment earnings above one-fifth of your weekly benefit amount, and rounds the payment down to a whole dollar. Example: a $300 weekly amount disregards $60, so $200 of wages pays $300 - $140 = $160.
Are New Mexico unemployment benefits taxable?
Unemployment benefits are taxable income on your federal return in every state. The Department of Workforce Solutions says unemployment insurance benefits are taxable income to include in your tax filing. New Mexico's return starts from federal income, so benefits generally count; we did not read a Taxation and Revenue page, so confirm before you file.
How to apply in New Mexico
File through the Department of Workforce Solutions UI Tax & Claims System, then request payment each week.
New Mexico Department of Workforce Solutions: Unemployment Insurance
When this changes: New Mexico recomputes the minimum and maximum each year from the state average weekly wage, for benefit years starting on or after the first Sunday of January, so new figures can apply from January 3, 2027. The minimum and maximum are recomputed from the state average weekly wage each year for benefit years starting on or after the first Sunday of January (January 3, 2027 next); recheck every January.
Frequently asked questions
How much does unemployment pay in New Mexico?
Regular New Mexico unemployment pays between $116 and $624 a week as of October 19, 2026. These are the DOL July 2026 figures. New Mexico recomputes them each year for benefit years starting on or after the first Sunday of January. Your amount depends on the wages you were paid in your base period. The weekly benefit amount is 53.5 percent of your average weekly wage in your highest base period quarter (that quarter's wages divided by 13), rounded down to the dollar.
How is the New Mexico weekly benefit amount calculated?
The weekly benefit amount is 53.5 percent of your average weekly wage in your highest base period quarter (that quarter's wages divided by 13), rounded down to the dollar. It is held between 10 percent and 53.5 percent of the state average weekly wage. DOL July 2026 lists $116 to $624. A highest quarter of $15,162.62 or more reaches the maximum. New Mexico adds $25 a week for each of up to two dependent children, limited to half your weekly amount.
How long can I collect unemployment in New Mexico?
The maximum benefit is the lower of 26 times the weekly amount, plus any dependency benefits, and 60 percent of base period wages. Claims run about 14 to 26 weeks without dependents; adding dependency benefits to the 26-week side can shorten the 60 percent limit to roughly 10 weeks.
Are unemployment benefits taxable in New Mexico?
The Department of Workforce Solutions says unemployment insurance benefits are taxable income to include in your tax filing. New Mexico's return starts from federal income, so benefits generally count; we did not read a Taxation and Revenue page, so confirm before you file.
Can I work part time and still get New Mexico unemployment?
New Mexico subtracts the part of your weekly wages or self-employment earnings above one-fifth of your weekly benefit amount, and rounds the payment down to a whole dollar. Example: a $300 weekly amount disregards $60, so $200 of wages pays $300 - $140 = $160.
Does New Mexico pay extra for children?
Yes. New Mexico adds $25 a week for each unemancipated child under 18 who depends on you, up to two children, and the extra cannot exceed half of your weekly benefit amount. You must document the dependent. There is no allowance for a spouse.
Sources for New Mexico
- NMSA 51-1-4 as printed in H.B. 482 (2015), New Mexico Legislature (archived copy)Formula, 10 and 53.5 percent limits, dependency benefit, one-fifth partial rule, 60 percent total, rounding
- New Mexico DWS: UI claimant 1099 informationBenefits are taxable income
- New Mexico DWS: Unemployment InsuranceWhere to file a claim
- 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 DWS website, nmonesource, Justia and the Legislature's bill pages blocked automated requests. The statute text is the existing-law language of NMSA 51-1-4 printed in H.B. 482 (2015), read from an Internet Archive copy, so later amendments may not appear; every figure that depends on a year ($116, $624, $2,818.70, the 60 percent total and the one-fifth disregard) agrees with DOL July 2026. The wage tests are DOL figures that we could not check against DWS. The 60 percent total, the dependency cap and the rounding of the total are our reading of the statute.