Michigan Unemployment Calculator
Enter your wages for the four quarters of your base period to estimate your Michigan weekly unemployment benefit, the most you could collect, and what a week of part-time work does to it. The figures follow UIA's published formula, checked November 6, 2026.
Michigan unemployment at a glance
- Maximum a week
- $530
- Minimum a week
- None set
- Weeks
- 14–26
- Waiting week
- Not modeled
New for 2027: claims filed on or after January 1, 2027 can get up to $614 a week, with $26.00 per dependent.
Example: $6,500 in each base-period quarter ($26,000 a year) gives an estimated $266 a week and up to $6,916.00 for the benefit year. Sources: Michigan Unemployment Insurance Agency 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
- $287
- Most for the benefit year
- $7,462.00
- Base-period wages
- $26,000.00
- Weekly range in MI
- up to $530
- 4.1% of highest quarter $7,000 = $287.
- Rounded down to the dollar: $287.
43% of base-period wages ÷ $287 = 38.95 weeks, rounded down to the half week and kept between 14 and 26: 26 weeks × $287.
This is an estimate for information only, not legal or benefits advice. The Michigan Unemployment Insurance Agency decides whether you are eligible and how much you receive, based on the wages your employers reported and the reason you left work.
How Michigan works out your weekly benefit
Michigan pays 4.1% of your highest base-period quarter's wages plus an allowance for up to five dependents, rounded down to the dollar, up to $530 a week for 2026 claims and $614 for claims filed from January 1, 2027.
You need wages in at least two base-period quarters and total base-period wages of at least 1.5 times your highest quarter, plus a minimum high-quarter amount that changes each year.
Michigan's 2024 law raised the maximum in steps: $446 for 2025 claims, $530 for 2026 claims and $614 for claims filed on or after January 1, 2027, with the dependent allowance rising from $19.33 to $26.00. From 2028 both amounts are adjusted each year for inflation.
Michigan weekly unemployment by quarterly pay
| Pay per quarter | Per year | Weekly benefit | Most for the year |
|---|---|---|---|
| $2,000 | $8,000 | $82 | $2,132.00 |
| $3,000 | $12,000 | $123 | $3,198.00 |
| $4,000 | $16,000 | $164 | $4,264.00 |
| $5,000 | $20,000 | $205 | $5,330.00 |
| $6,500 | $26,000 | $266 | $6,916.00 |
| $8,000 | $32,000 | $328 | $8,528.00 |
| $10,000 | $40,000 | $410 | $10,660.00 |
| $12,500 | $50,000 | $512 | $13,312.00 |
| $15,000 | $60,000 | $530 (max) | $13,780.00 |
Same pay in all four quarters, no dependents, claim filed now. With equal quarters you reach the $530 maximum at about $12,927 a quarter. This is an estimate for information only; the UIA decides your actual amount.
Weeks, waiting week and part-time work
- How long benefits last
- Between 14 and 26 weeks: 43% of your base-period wages divided by your weekly benefit, rounded down to the nearest half week.
- Waiting week
- The Unemployment Insurance Agency's pages do not describe a waiting week, so this page does not model one.
- Part-time earnings
- If you work part time, your benefit drops by 50 cents for each whole dollar you earn, and your benefit plus earnings cannot exceed 1.5 times your weekly benefit.
Frequently asked questions
Sources
- Michigan Employment Security Act, MCL 421.274.1% of high-quarter wages plus a per-dependent amount for up to 5 dependents ($19.33 for 2026 claims, $26.00 for 2027), maximum $530 (2026) and $614 (2027), adjusted to the next lower dollar; partial: 50 cents per whole $1 earned, benefit plus earnings capped at 1.5 × WBA; weeks = 43% of base-period wages ÷ WBA, rounded down to the nearest half, 14 to 26.
- LEO — Unemployment weekly benefit rate increases Jan. 1, 2026Maximum rises to $530 on January 1, 2026 and to $614 on January 1, 2027; dependent amount $26 in 2027; maximum 26 weeks.
- LEO — About UIA and Unemployment Insurance in MichiganWeekly benefit rate is high-quarter earnings × 4.1%; maximum $530; $19.33 per dependent, up to five, not over the maximum; up to 26 weeks; wages in two quarters and 1.5 × high quarter; high-quarter thresholds from $4,097 to $5,809 depending on the benefit year.
Checked November 6, 2026.
This is an estimate for information only, not legal or benefits advice. The Michigan Unemployment Insurance Agency decides whether you qualify and the amount you receive.