South Carolina Unemployment Calculator
As of October 19, 2026, regular South Carolina unemployment pays $42 to $350 a week for 13 to 20 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)
$42 to $350
Current figures
Maximum weeks
13 to 20
Regular state benefits only
State income tax on benefits
Taxable
Federal income tax applies in every state
South Carolina 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 South Carolina estimate.
How much does unemployment pay in South Carolina?
South Carolina pays 50 percent of your average weekly wage in your highest base period quarter, which is that quarter divided by 13. The result is rounded down to the dollar, with a $42 minimum.
The department sets the maximum each year. The DEW page we could read lists $350.
South Carolina uses the first four of the last five completed quarters. The DOL comparison says it also allows an alternate base period of the last four completed quarters if the regular one does not qualify you. Enter whichever four quarters apply.
South Carolina unemployment eligibility: the wage tests
These are the monetary tests only. South Carolina also decides whether you lost your job through no fault of your own and whether you are able and available to work.
- Base period wages of at least 1.5 times your highest quarter,
- at least $4,455 in the base period, and
- at least $1,092 in your highest quarter.
Maximum weeks and maximum benefit amount
Your maximum benefit is the lesser of 20 times your weekly amount and one-third of your base period wages, rounded down to the dollar, so claims run 13 to 20 weeks. South Carolina fixes the 20-week ceiling in statute rather than tying it to the unemployment rate.
Working part time while collecting
South Carolina subtracts the part of your weekly wages above one-fourth of your weekly benefit amount from the weekly amount, rounded down to the dollar. For example, a $300 benefit lets you earn $75 before the benefit is reduced, and $175 of earnings pays $200.
Are South Carolina unemployment benefits taxable?
Unemployment benefits are taxable income on your federal return in every state. South Carolina taxes unemployment benefits as income. DEW does not withhold taxes unless you choose it when you file: federal withholding is 10 percent and state withholding is 7 percent.
How to apply in South Carolina
File a claim with the SC Department of Employment and Workforce online, then request benefits every week.
SC DEW: file for unemployment benefits
When this changes: The department sets the maximum weekly benefit each year; recheck the DEW page each January and July. The department sets the maximum weekly benefit each year within the statutory ceiling (two-thirds of the statewide average weekly wage); the $4,455 and $1,092 wage tests are fixed in statute.
Frequently asked questions
How much does unemployment pay in South Carolina?
Regular South Carolina unemployment pays between $42 and $350 a week as of October 19, 2026. Your amount depends on the wages you were paid in your base period. South Carolina pays 50 percent of your average weekly wage in your highest base period quarter, which is that quarter divided by 13. The result is rounded down to the dollar, with a $42 minimum.
How is the South Carolina weekly benefit amount calculated?
South Carolina pays 50 percent of your average weekly wage in your highest base period quarter, which is that quarter divided by 13. The result is rounded down to the dollar, with a $42 minimum. The department sets the maximum each year. The DEW page we could read lists $350.
How long can I collect unemployment in South Carolina?
Your maximum benefit is the lesser of 20 times your weekly amount and one-third of your base period wages, rounded down to the dollar, so claims run 13 to 20 weeks. South Carolina fixes the 20-week ceiling in statute rather than tying it to the unemployment rate.
Are unemployment benefits taxable in South Carolina?
South Carolina taxes unemployment benefits as income. DEW does not withhold taxes unless you choose it when you file: federal withholding is 10 percent and state withholding is 7 percent.
Can I work part time and still get South Carolina unemployment?
South Carolina subtracts the part of your weekly wages above one-fourth of your weekly benefit amount from the weekly amount, rounded down to the dollar. For example, a $300 benefit lets you earn $75 before the benefit is reduced, and $175 of earnings pays $200.
How long does South Carolina pay unemployment?
Up to 20 weeks. Since 2011 South Carolina has capped regular benefits at 20 times the weekly amount, or one-third of base period wages if that is lower. The cap does not change with the unemployment rate. A claim runs shorter than 20 weeks when your base period wages are below about 2.3 times your highest quarter.
Sources for South Carolina
- S.C. Code Title 41, Chapter 35 (benefits)50 percent formula, $42 minimum, department-set maximum, 20 weeks or one-third, partial weeks
- S.C. Code Title 41, Chapter 27 (definitions)Weekly average wage (high quarter divided by 13) and insured worker tests
- SC DEW: Weekly Benefit Amount (archived copy)$42 to $350, up to 20 weeks, tax withholding rates
- U.S. DOL, Comparison of State UI Laws 2023, chapter 3Alternate base period
- U.S. DOL, Significant Provisions of State UI Laws (July 2026)Cross-check of $42, $350, 13 to 20 weeks
Sources checked October 19, 2026.
Verification note: dew.sc.gov blocked direct access; the DEW weekly benefit page was read from an Internet Archive copy of unknown date, which lists the same $350 maximum as DOL July 2026. The statute pages were read directly. The alternate base period comes from the 2023 DOL comparison, not a South Carolina page.