Illinois Unemployment Calculator
Enter your wages for the four quarters of your base period to estimate your Illinois weekly unemployment benefit, the most you could collect, and what a week of part-time work does to it. The figures follow IDES's published formula, checked November 6, 2026.
Illinois unemployment at a glance
- Maximum a week
- $628
- Minimum a week
- $51
- Weeks
- Up to 26
- Waiting week
- Yes, unpaid
Example: $6,500 in each base-period quarter ($26,000 a year) gives an estimated $235 a week and up to $6,110.00 for the benefit year. Sources: Illinois Department of Employment Security and the other official sources listed below, checked November 6, 2026.
Enter gross wages for each of the four quarters in your base period, usually the first four of the last five completed calendar quarters before you file.
Gross pay for a week you work part time while claiming.
- Weekly benefit
- $244
- Most for the benefit year
- $6,344.00
- Base-period wages
- $26,000.00
- Weekly range in IL
- $51–$628
- Two highest quarters $13,500 ÷ 26 = average weekly wage of about $519.
- 47% of $519 = $243.93, rounded up: $244.
26 × $244.
This is an estimate for information only, not legal or benefits advice. The Illinois Department of Employment Security decides whether you are eligible and how much you receive, based on the wages your employers reported and the reason you left work.
How Illinois works out your weekly benefit
Illinois adds your two highest base-period quarters, divides by 26 for an average weekly wage, and pays 47% of it, rounded up to the next dollar, from $51 up to $628 a week (before any dependent allowance).
You need at least $1,600 in base-period wages, with at least $440 outside your highest quarter. A dependent allowance for a nonworking spouse or a dependent child can be added; this estimate leaves it out.
IDES publishes new minimum and maximum amounts for benefit years starting each January 1. The 2026 table (BEN 548, 11/2025) caps the weekly benefit at $628, or $748 with a nonworking spouse and $859 with a dependent child. The 2027 table had not been published when we checked; IDES usually releases it in November or December.
Illinois weekly unemployment by quarterly pay
| Pay per quarter | Per year | Weekly benefit | Most for the year |
|---|---|---|---|
| $2,000 | $8,000 | $73 | $1,898.00 |
| $3,000 | $12,000 | $109 | $2,834.00 |
| $4,000 | $16,000 | $145 | $3,770.00 |
| $5,000 | $20,000 | $181 | $4,706.00 |
| $6,500 | $26,000 | $235 | $6,110.00 |
| $8,000 | $32,000 | $290 | $7,540.00 |
| $10,000 | $40,000 | $362 | $9,412.00 |
| $12,500 | $50,000 | $453 | $11,778.00 |
| $15,000 | $60,000 | $543 | $14,118.00 |
Same pay in all four quarters, claim filed now. With equal quarters you reach the $628 maximum at about $17,349 a quarter. This is an estimate for information only; the IDES decides your actual amount.
Weeks, waiting week and part-time work
- How long benefits last
- Up to 26 times your weekly benefit (plus any dependent allowance) in a benefit year.
- Waiting week
- The first week is an unpaid waiting week required by law.
- Part-time earnings
- If you work part time, earnings above 50% of your weekly benefit are subtracted from it, and the result is raised to the next dollar.
Frequently asked questions
Sources
- IDES — Table 1 of Weekly Benefit Amounts, 2026 (BEN 548, 11/2025)Applies to benefit years beginning on or after January 1, 2026; rate 47.0%, rounded to the next higher dollar; $800.00–$2,820.99 in the two highest quarters pays $51; $34,697.00 and up pays $628 ($748 with spouse, $859 with child); minimum qualifying wages $1,600, $440 outside the high quarter.
- IDES — UI Benefit Handbook: Benefit DeterminationBenefit based on the two highest base-period quarters; up to 26 times the weekly benefit; partial benefit is the weekly benefit less earnings above 50% of it, raised to the next higher dollar.
- IDES — Unemployment Insurance Benefits Handbook (Rev. 5/22)The waiting week is a qualifying period required by law; benefits are not paid for it.
Checked November 6, 2026.
This is an estimate for information only, not legal or benefits advice. The Illinois Department of Employment Security decides whether you qualify and the amount you receive.