How Long Will My Unemployment Benefits Last in Arizona?

 

Find out how many weeks of unemployment benefits are available in Arizona; pandemic emergency unemployment compensation is covered, too.

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In Arizona, the duration of benefits depends on the state's unemployment rate when you apply. The maximum period for which you can receive benefits is 24 weeks when the unemployment rate is less than 5%, and 26 weeks when the unemployment rate is 5% or more.

A temporary federal program (the Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation program) allowed claimants to keep collecting benefits after their state benefits ran out. However, that program expired on September 6, 2021 (or earlier, in states that decided to cut these benefits off before the program ended). 

In times of high unemployment, additional weeks of benefits may be available under a different federal program, the Extended Benefits program (see below).

Each state sets its own rules for how long unemployment benefits last. Until quite recently, virtually all states offered a maximum of 26 weeks of benefits. In the last five or six years, however, some states have changed their rules on duration of benefits (in most cases, to offer benefits for a shorter period of time).

Extended Benefits

The extended benefits (EB) program is a joint undertaking between the federal government and each state. The EB program isn't specific to the COVID-19 pandemic; it has existed for decades. The EB program kicks in automatically when a state’s unemployment rate exceeds a certain level. The EB program was triggered when unemployment rates skyrocketed during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, as more jobs have become available, unemployment rates have declined below the level necessary to trigger the EB program. Currently (in October of 2022), extended benefits aren't available in any state.  

When the EB program is in effect, it pays 13 additional weeks of benefits. Some states add their own seven-week extension, for a total of 20 weeks of benefits. Check the website of the Arizona Department of Economic Security to find out whether extended benefits are available when you apply for unemployment and, if so, how long they will last.


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Jurisdictional relevance: ST

There are versions of this article for each State.