Current Minimum and Maximum Benefit Amounts in California

 

Find out the weekly unemployment benefit limits in California.

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In California, the minimum benefit is $40 per week, and the maximum benefit is $450 per week.

Pandemic Unemployment Benefits Have Expired

Although additional money -- $300 extra per week -- was available under the federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation program, that program expired on September 6, 2021. For weeks of unemployment starting on September 6 or later, these extra benefits will no longer be paid. 

A different federal program -- Pandemic Unemployment Assistance -- made benefits available temporarily to workers who were not eligible for traditional unemployment benefits, including freelancers, gig workers, and other contractors. That program also expired on September 6, 2021. 

How California Determines Benefit Amounts

Each state determines how much it will pay in unemployment benefits. Generally, the weekly benefit amount is some fraction or percentage of your earnings in the base period or your highest paid quarter of the base period.

Generally, your weekly benefit in California will be one twenty-sixth of your earnings in the highest paid quarter of the base period. If your earnings are lower, however, this might vary. You can look up how much you will receive in the Unemployment Insurance Benefit Table

To make sure these amounts are still current when you apply for benefits, contact the California Employment Development Department.


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Jurisdictional relevance: ST

There are versions of this article for each State.