Key takeaways
- Enter your claim date and quarterly wages to see which quarters EDD uses and whether you meet the minimum earnings tests.
- Your weekly benefit comes from EDD's official benefit table, from $40 to $450, based on your highest-paid quarter.
- The tool also estimates your claim maximum and what you'd be paid in a week with part-time earnings.
Use this calculator to estimate your California Unemployment Insurance (UI) benefit before you apply. It shows which quarters EDD looks at, whether you meet the minimum earnings tests, and your likely weekly benefit and claim maximum.
Enter your gross wages paid in each quarter (from pay stubs or your W-2s). Leave a quarter at $0 if you had no pay.
Standard base period: Jul–Sep 2025 to Apr–Jun 2026. If that doesn't qualify you, EDD checks the alternate base period, which adds Jul–Sep 2026.
Estimate only, using EDD's published rules. Your official amount is on EDD's award notice. Nothing you enter leaves your browser.
How the calculator works
The calculator applies the rules EDD publishes in its benefits guide (DE 2320):
- Base period. From your claim date it finds the last five completed calendar quarters. The standard base period is the first four of them. If those wages don't qualify you, EDD automatically tries the alternate base period, the last four completed quarters.
- Minimum earnings. You qualify if you earned at least $1,300 in one quarter, or at least $900 in your highest quarter with total base-period wages of at least 1.25 times that quarter.
- Weekly benefit amount. Your highest-paid quarter is looked up in EDD's Unemployment Insurance Benefit Table, which runs from $40 to the $450 maximum (reached at $11,674.01 or more in the highest quarter).
- Claim maximum. The most you can receive is 26 times your weekly amount or half your total base-period wages, whichever is less.
- Part-time work. If you enter weekly earnings, EDD doesn't deduct the first $25 or 25% of those earnings, whichever is more. The rest is subtracted from your weekly benefit.
Worked example
Say you file in May 2026 and earned $3,000, $3,200, $3,400 and $3,600 in the four standard base-period quarters.
| Step | Result |
|---|---|
| Highest quarter | $3,600, which passes the $1,300 test |
| Weekly benefit (EDD table) | $139 |
| 26 × weekly benefit | $3,614 |
| Half of base-period wages ($13,200 ÷ 2) | $6,600 |
| Claim maximum | $3,614 (the smaller of the two), about 26 weeks |
| A week with $100 of part-time pay | $75 is deducted, so that week pays $64 |
In the last row, EDD ignores the larger of $25 or 25% of the $100 ($25), so $75 is deducted from the $139 weekly benefit. Try your own numbers above.
Before you rely on the estimate
- Your official amount is on EDD's award notice. EDD uses its own wage records from employers, which may differ from your pay stubs.
- Eligibility isn't only about money. You must also be unemployed through no fault of your own, able and available to work, and looking for work. See who qualifies.
- There's an unpaid waiting week, and the first payment usually takes about three weeks. See how to file.
Frequently asked questions
How is California unemployment calculated?
EDD uses the quarter in your base period when you were paid the most and looks it up in its benefit table. The weekly amount ranges from $40 to $450. Your total for the claim is capped at 26 weeks or half your base-period wages, whichever is less.
What is the maximum weekly unemployment benefit in California?
The maximum is $450 a week, which applies once your highest-quarter wages reach $11,674.01 or more. Earning more than that doesn't raise the weekly amount.
Which months count for my unemployment claim?
The standard base period is the first four of the last five completed calendar quarters before your claim starts. For a claim filed in May 2026, that's January 2025 through December 2025. The calculator shows the quarters for any date you enter.
Does this calculator include federal taxes?
No. It shows the gross benefit. Unemployment benefits are taxable for federal purposes, and you can choose federal withholding when you apply.
Is the calculator official?
No. It's an independent estimate built from EDD's published rules. Only EDD can determine your eligibility and benefit amount. Nothing you type is sent anywhere; the calculation runs in your browser.
Sources
We use primary sources: statutes, court rules, official forms and government pages. Read our editorial standards.