Texas unemployment calculator
In Texas, unemployment pays about half your usual weekly pay, up to about $619 a week for up to 26 weeks.
Texas sets a new top benefit each October, and it can rise by no more than $14 a year. For claims since October 4, 2026, it is about $619 a week.
Estimate your unemployment benefits
Estimated benefit in Texas
$416 a week
- Weeksup to 26 weeks
- Total$10,816
How we worked it out
- We used your pay from Jul 2025 to Jun 2026.
- Your best quarter was $10,400. Texas pays 1/25 of it: $416, rounded to the nearest dollar.
- You can get up to 26 weeks: 26 times $416 is $10,816.
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 Texas. 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. Texas Workforce Commission makes the final decision, including whether the reason you lost your job qualifies. Your first week is a waiting week, which Texas pays back later.
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.
Texas unemployment rules for 2026
- Weekly benefit
- $76 to $619 a week * (maximum since October 4, 2026, not yet confirmed by the state)
- How it is worked out
- 1/25 of your best quarter, rounded to the nearest dollar. For example, a $5,775 best quarter gives $231 a week.
- Weeks
- Up to 26 weeks. Your total is the lesser of 26 weeks of benefits or 27% of your base period pay.
- Who qualifies
- Pay in at least two quarters, and total base period pay of at least 37 times your weekly benefit.
- 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
- Texas has none.
- Waiting week
- Yes, but Texas pays it back later, after you have received two full weeks of benefits and still meet the rules.
- Working part-time
- Earnings up to a quarter of your weekly benefit, or $5 if that is more, do not count. The rest comes off your benefit.
- How to apply
- Online with the Texas Workforce Commission. Apply in the first week after your job ends.
Unemployment by hourly wage in Texas
For steady full-time work, 40 hours a week, for more than a year. The $619 maximum starts at about $29.74 an hour.
| Hourly pay | Weekly benefit | Weeks | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| $15 an hour | $312 | 26 | $8,112 |
| $18 an hour | $374 | 26 | $9,724 |
| $20 an hour | $416 | 26 | $10,816 |
| $22 an hour | $458 | 26 | $11,908 |
| $25 an hour | $520 | 26 | $13,520 |
| $28 an hour | $582 | 26 | $15,132 |
| $30 an hour | $619 | 26 | $16,094 |
| $35 an hour | $619 | 26 | $16,094 |
| $40 an hour | $619 | 26 | $16,094 |
| $50 an hour | $619 | 26 | $16,094 |
Not yet confirmed by Texas. We show our best reading of the official rules here, but could not confirm it from the state itself:
- Maximum $619 and minimum $76: Texas law caps each year's rise at $14, so $619 is the most the October 2026 recalculation allows. We could not open the Texas Workforce Commission's benefit table to confirm it. The US Department of Labor's July 2026 table shows $75 to $605.
- Rounding: the Texas Workforce Commission says weekly benefits round to the nearest dollar, while the Labor Code says amounts round up. Results can differ by $1.
More help for Texas
Common questions
How much does unemployment pay in Texas?
In Texas, unemployment pays about half your usual weekly pay, up to about $619 a week for up to 26 weeks. How Texas works out the weekly benefit: 1/25 of your best quarter, rounded to the nearest dollar. For example, a $5,775 best quarter gives $231 a week.
How many weeks of unemployment can I get in Texas?
Up to 26 weeks. Your total is the lesser of 26 weeks of benefits or 27% of your base period pay.
How do I qualify for unemployment in Texas?
Pay in at least two quarters, and total base period pay of at least 37 times your weekly benefit. You must also have lost your job through no fault of your own and be able to work, available and looking for work.
Does Texas have a waiting week?
Yes, but Texas pays it back later, after you have received two full weeks of benefits and still meet the rules.
Can I work part-time on unemployment in Texas?
Yes. Earnings up to a quarter of your weekly benefit, or $5 if that is more, do not count. The rest comes off your benefit.
How do I apply for unemployment in Texas?
Apply online with the Texas Workforce Commission 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. Texas sets the final amount when you apply.
- Texas Workforce Commission, eligibility and benefit amounts (October 4, 2026: $76 to $619), checked November 15, 2026
- Texas Workforce Commission, Texas Unemployment Compensation Act, dated September 1, 2023
- Texas Labor Code chapter 207, checked November 15, 2026
- US Department of Labor, Significant Provisions of State UI Laws, effective July 2026, dated July 1, 2026