Illinois unemployment calculator
In Illinois, unemployment pays about half your usual weekly pay, up to $628 a week ($859 with dependents) for up to 26 weeks.
Illinois adds an allowance for a dependent child that can lift the top benefit from $628 to $859 a week.
Estimate your unemployment benefits
Estimated benefit in Illinois
$376 a week
- Weeksup to 26 weeks
- Total$9,776
How we worked it out
- We used your pay from Jul 2025 to Jun 2026.
- Your two best quarters add up to $20,800, an average of $800 a week. Illinois pays 47% of that: $376, rounded up.
- Illinois pays up to 26 weeks: $9,776.
Pay from October to December 2026 ($6,933) is too recent to count yet. If you file after the quarter ends, it may count.
This is an estimate from your state's published formula. Illinois Department of Employment Security makes the final decision, including whether the reason you lost your job qualifies. Most people wait one unpaid week first.
If you work part-time while on unemployment
You can usually keep some benefits in a week when you work a little. Enter what you would earn that week, before tax.
Illinois unemployment rules for 2026
- Weekly benefit
- $51 to $628 a week, up to $859 with dependents (maximum since January 1, 2026)
- How it is worked out
- 47% of your average weekly pay in your two best quarters (their total divided by 26), rounded up.
- Weeks
- Up to 26 weeks. Your total cannot be more than your base period pay.
- Who qualifies
- At least $1,600 in the base period, with at least $440 of it outside your best quarter.
- Base period
- The first four of the last five full calendar quarters before you file. For a claim filed in late 2026, that is July 2025 through June 2026.
- Alternative base period
- The last four full calendar quarters before you file. For a claim filed in late 2026, that is October 2025 through September 2026. Illinois uses it only if you do not qualify with the regular base period.
- Dependents
- One allowance, for a dependent child or a non-working spouse. With a child it is the larger of 17.3% of your average weekly pay or half your benefit (up to $50), with the total capped at $859. With a spouse it is 9% (at least $15), capped at $748.
- Waiting week
- Yes. The first week is an unpaid waiting week, and it is not paid back.
- Working part-time
- Earnings up to half your weekly benefit do not count. The rest comes off your benefit. Earning your full benefit or more means no payment that week. Your dependents' allowance is added after.
- How to apply
- Online with the Illinois Department of Employment Security. Apply in the first week after your job ends.
Unemployment by hourly wage in Illinois
For steady full-time work, 40 hours a week, for more than a year. The $628 maximum starts at about $33.37 an hour.
| Hourly pay | Weekly benefit | Weeks | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| $15 an hour | $282 | 26 | $7,332 |
| $18 an hour | $339 | 26 | $8,814 |
| $20 an hour | $376 | 26 | $9,776 |
| $22 an hour | $414 | 26 | $10,764 |
| $25 an hour | $470 | 26 | $12,220 |
| $28 an hour | $527 | 26 | $13,702 |
| $30 an hour | $564 | 26 | $14,664 |
| $35 an hour | $628 | 26 | $16,328 |
| $40 an hour | $628 | 26 | $16,328 |
| $50 an hour | $628 | 26 | $16,328 |
More help for Illinois
Common questions
How much does unemployment pay in Illinois?
In Illinois, unemployment pays about half your usual weekly pay, up to $628 a week ($859 with dependents) for up to 26 weeks. How Illinois works out the weekly benefit: 47% of your average weekly pay in your two best quarters (their total divided by 26), rounded up.
How many weeks of unemployment can I get in Illinois?
Up to 26 weeks. Your total cannot be more than your base period pay.
How do I qualify for unemployment in Illinois?
At least $1,600 in the base period, with at least $440 of it outside your best quarter. You must also have lost your job through no fault of your own and be able to work, available and looking for work.
Does Illinois have a waiting week?
Yes. The first week is an unpaid waiting week, and it is not paid back.
Can I work part-time on unemployment in Illinois?
Yes. Earnings up to half your weekly benefit do not count. The rest comes off your benefit. Earning your full benefit or more means no payment that week. Your dependents' allowance is added after.
Does Illinois pay more for dependents?
One allowance, for a dependent child or a non-working spouse. With a child it is the larger of 17.3% of your average weekly pay or half your benefit (up to $50), with the total capped at $859. With a spouse it is 9% (at least $15), capped at $748.
How do I apply for unemployment in Illinois?
Apply online with the Illinois Department of Employment Security as soon as your job ends. Have your Social Security number and the names, addresses and dates of your employers for the last 18 months ready.
Sources
Checked November 15, 2026. Illinois sets the final amount when you apply.
- Illinois Department of Employment Security, Table of weekly benefit amounts for benefit years starting in 2026 (BEN 548), dated November 1, 2025
- Illinois Department of Employment Security, benefit handbook: benefit determination, checked November 15, 2026
- Illinois law, 820 ILCS 405/401, checked November 15, 2026
- US Department of Labor, Significant Provisions of State UI Laws, effective July 2026, dated July 1, 2026