Ohio unemployment calculator
In Ohio, unemployment pays about half your usual weekly pay, up to $624 a week ($842 with dependents) for up to 26 weeks.
Ohio counts weeks worked, not quarters: 20 weeks with pay qualify you, and each week over 20 adds a week of benefits.
Estimate your unemployment benefits
Estimated benefit in Ohio
$400 a week
- Weeksup to 26 weeks
- Total$10,400
How we worked it out
- We used your pay from Jul 2025 to Jun 2026.
- Your average weekly pay is $41,600 over about 52 weeks: $800. Ohio pays half of it: $400.
- Ohio pays 20 weeks plus 1 for each week you worked over 20, up to 26: 26 weeks, or $10,400.
Pay from October to December 2026 ($6,933) is too recent to count yet. If you file after the quarter ends, it may count.
Not yet confirmed by Ohio. Part of this estimate rests on rules or figures the state has not confirmed yet. See which.
This is an estimate from your state's published formula. Ohio Department of Job and Family Services 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.
Ohio unemployment rules for 2026
- Weekly benefit
- $176 to $624 a week, up to $842 with dependents (maximum since December 28, 2025)
- How it is worked out
- Half your average weekly pay, which is your base period pay divided by the weeks you worked, rounded down. The maximum depends on your dependents.
- Weeks
- 20 weeks, plus 1 for each week you worked over 20, up to 26.
- Who qualifies
- At least 20 weeks of work in the base period, with average weekly pay of at least $352. A week counts if you had any pay that week.
- 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. Ohio uses it only if you do not have enough weeks or pay in the regular base period.
- Dependents
- No extra amount, but a higher maximum: $624 with no dependents, $757 with 1 or 2, and $842 with 3 or more.
- Waiting week
- Yes. One unpaid waiting week, not paid back.
- Working part-time
- Earnings up to 20% of your weekly benefit do not count. The rest comes off your benefit. Earning your full benefit or more means no payment that week. For example, a $400 benefit with $200 of pay pays $280.
- How to apply
- Online with the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services. Apply in the first week after your job ends.
Unemployment by hourly wage in Ohio
For steady full-time work, 40 hours a week, for more than a year. The $624 maximum starts at about $31.25 an hour.
| Hourly pay | Weekly benefit | Weeks | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| $15 an hour | $300 | 26 | $7,800 |
| $18 an hour | $360 | 26 | $9,360 |
| $20 an hour | $400 | 26 | $10,400 |
| $22 an hour | $440 | 26 | $11,440 |
| $25 an hour | $500 | 26 | $13,000 |
| $28 an hour | $560 | 26 | $14,560 |
| $30 an hour | $600 | 26 | $15,600 |
| $35 an hour | $624 | 26 | $16,224 |
| $40 an hour | $624 | 26 | $16,224 |
| $50 an hour | $624 | 26 | $16,224 |
Not yet confirmed by Ohio. We show our best reading of the official rules here, but could not confirm it from the state itself:
- Maximum with 1 or 2 dependents ($757): the US Department of Labor gives only the range $624 to $842. We could not find Ohio's own 2026 figure.
- Lowest average weekly pay ($352): it matches the $176 minimum benefit the US Department of Labor lists, but we found no 2026 Ohio notice.
More help for Ohio
Common questions
How much does unemployment pay in Ohio?
In Ohio, unemployment pays about half your usual weekly pay, up to $624 a week ($842 with dependents) for up to 26 weeks. How Ohio works out the weekly benefit: Half your average weekly pay, which is your base period pay divided by the weeks you worked, rounded down. The maximum depends on your dependents.
How many weeks of unemployment can I get in Ohio?
20 weeks, plus 1 for each week you worked over 20, up to 26.
How do I qualify for unemployment in Ohio?
At least 20 weeks of work in the base period, with average weekly pay of at least $352. A week counts if you had any pay that week. You must also have lost your job through no fault of your own and be able to work, available and looking for work.
Does Ohio have a waiting week?
Yes. One unpaid waiting week, not paid back.
Can I work part-time on unemployment in Ohio?
Yes. Earnings up to 20% of your weekly benefit do not count. The rest comes off your benefit. Earning your full benefit or more means no payment that week. For example, a $400 benefit with $200 of pay pays $280.
Does Ohio pay more for dependents?
No extra amount, but a higher maximum: $624 with no dependents, $757 with 1 or 2, and $842 with 3 or more.
How do I apply for unemployment in Ohio?
Apply online with the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services 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. Ohio sets the final amount when you apply.
- Ohio Department of Job and Family Services, How Ohio's unemployment benefit amounts are calculated, dated March 14, 2024
- Ohio Department of Job and Family Services, qualifying weeks, average weekly wage and weekly benefit policy, dated June 16, 2025
- Ohio Revised Code 4141.30, checked November 15, 2026
- US Department of Labor, Significant Provisions, January 2026 (Ohio $176 to $624 to $842), dated January 1, 2026
- US Department of Labor, Significant Provisions of State UI Laws, effective July 2026, dated July 1, 2026