Pennsylvania Unemployment Calculator
As of October 19, 2026, regular Pennsylvania unemployment pays $68 to $605 a week for 18 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)
$68 to $605
Effective January 1, 2023
Maximum weeks
18 to 26
Regular state benefits only
State income tax on benefits
Not taxed by the state
Federal income tax applies in every state
Pennsylvania 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 Pennsylvania estimate.
How much does unemployment pay in Pennsylvania?
Pennsylvania uses a chart, not a percentage. Your highest base period quarter sets the weekly benefit rate in 25-dollar bands: $1,688 to $1,712 pays $68 and $15,388 or more pays the $605 maximum.
Each band also lists the qualifying wages you need in the whole base year, so at least 37 percent of them fall outside the high quarter. For example, a $7,500 high quarter pays $295 and needs $11,924 in the base year.
A dependents allowance adds $5 for a spouse and $3 for one child, or $5 for a first child and $3 for a second when there is no spouse, with an $8 maximum.
Pennsylvania uses the first four of the last five completed quarters as the base year. An alternate base year (the four quarters before a compensable work injury) is available only for work-related injuries, and you have to appeal and ask for it.
Pennsylvania unemployment eligibility: the wage tests
These are the monetary tests only. Pennsylvania also decides whether you lost your job through no fault of your own and whether you are able and available to work.
- At least $1,688 in the highest quarter,
- total base year wages that meet the chart for your high quarter (at least $2,718); if you fall short, Section 404(a)(3) can still pay a lower rate, and
- at least 18 credit weeks, where a credit week is any calendar week with $116 or more in wages.
Maximum weeks and maximum benefit amount
The maximum benefit amount is your weekly rate times your credit weeks (18 to 26), so you can collect for 18 to 26 weeks. The dependents allowance is paid for the same number of weeks.
Working part time while collecting
Pennsylvania reduces benefits by earnings above a partial benefit credit. The DOL July 2026 compilation lists the credit as the greater of $21 or 30 percent of the weekly benefit amount. Check the Notice of Financial Determination for your own figure.
Are Pennsylvania unemployment benefits taxable?
Unemployment benefits are taxable income on your federal return in every state. Pennsylvania does not tax unemployment benefits at the state or local level. All benefits are gross income for federal tax, and you can ask for 10 percent federal withholding.
How to apply in Pennsylvania
Apply through Pennsylvania Unemployment Compensation. The Notice of Financial Determination lists your wages by quarter and your rate.
Pennsylvania L&I Benefit Guide
When this changes: Recheck each January for a new chart or a change in the solvency reduction rate. Chart set by Act 60 of 2022 at 2 percent above 2022 rates; recheck each January for new charts and the solvency reduction rate.
Frequently asked questions
How much does unemployment pay in Pennsylvania?
Regular Pennsylvania unemployment pays between $68 and $605 a week as of October 19, 2026. Your amount depends on the wages you were paid in your base period. Pennsylvania uses a chart, not a percentage. Your highest base period quarter sets the weekly benefit rate in 25-dollar bands: $1,688 to $1,712 pays $68 and $15,388 or more pays the $605 maximum.
How is the Pennsylvania weekly benefit amount calculated?
Pennsylvania uses a chart, not a percentage. Your highest base period quarter sets the weekly benefit rate in 25-dollar bands: $1,688 to $1,712 pays $68 and $15,388 or more pays the $605 maximum. Each band also lists the qualifying wages you need in the whole base year, so at least 37 percent of them fall outside the high quarter. For example, a $7,500 high quarter pays $295 and needs $11,924 in the base year. A dependents allowance adds $5 for a spouse and $3 for one child, or $5 for a first child and $3 for a second when there is no spouse, with an $8 maximum.
How long can I collect unemployment in Pennsylvania?
The maximum benefit amount is your weekly rate times your credit weeks (18 to 26), so you can collect for 18 to 26 weeks. The dependents allowance is paid for the same number of weeks.
Are unemployment benefits taxable in Pennsylvania?
Pennsylvania does not tax unemployment benefits at the state or local level. All benefits are gross income for federal tax, and you can ask for 10 percent federal withholding.
Can I work part time and still get Pennsylvania unemployment?
Pennsylvania reduces benefits by earnings above a partial benefit credit. The DOL July 2026 compilation lists the credit as the greater of $21 or 30 percent of the weekly benefit amount. Check the Notice of Financial Determination for your own figure.
Why is my Pennsylvania payment lower than my benefit rate?
Pennsylvania reduces payments when the unemployment trust fund is insolvent. L&I set the reduction at 3.2 percent beginning with the week ending January 7, 2023, and the rate can change when the fund recovers. This calculator shows the rate from the chart before any reduction, so a $605 rate pays about $585.
Sources for Pennsylvania
- L&I Benefit Guide: Eligibility information (Rate and Amount of Benefits Chart)Chart reproduced row by row in our tests; credit weeks; 18 to 26 weeks
- Pennsylvania UC: Weekly benefit rateDependents allowance, state tax treatment, 26 times the rate
- L&I: Weekly benefit rate FAQs3.2 percent reduction and $605 maximum
- 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 chart prints the $80 band as "1998 - 2012" between "1963 - 1987" and "2013 - 2037". We treat it as 1988 to 2012, which matches the 25-dollar pattern of every other row. The partial-benefit credit comes from the DOL compilation, because the Pennsylvania pages we read name the credit without giving the figure.