US  Idaho Unemployment Benefits — October 2026 Update

Idaho Unemployment Benefits 2026: Up to $624 a Week, and 10 to 26 Weeks Set by How Steady Your Pay Was

⚠️ Informational only — not legal or tax advice. RemoteLaws is not a law firm. This page compiles and synthesizes official government sources for informational purposes.

By The RemoteLaws Research Team
First published: January 29, 2026
Last updated: October 26, 2026 — rebuilt against Idaho Code § 72-1367, Idaho Labor Administrative Order 683 and the U.S. Department of Labor July 2026 survey

Idaho unemployment calculator 2026 weekly benefit up to $624 for 10 to 26 weeks

Idaho Unemployment at a Glance (2026)

Item Current rule Legal basis
Weekly benefit amount 1/26 of your highest base-period quarter; benefits rounded down to the dollar Idaho Code § 72-1367(2), (5)
Maximum $624 for claims filed from the first full week of January 2026 (55% of the state average weekly wage of $1,135.33) Idaho Labor Administrative Order 683; § 72-1367(2)
Minimum $72 (the $1,872 qualifying quarter ÷ 26) § 72-1367(1); U.S. DOL, July 2026
Wages needed At least $1,872 in one quarter (2026) and base-period wages of 1.25 times the highest quarter § 72-1367(1)
Weeks 10 to 26, from a table combining your base-period-to-best-quarter wage ratio and the state unemployment rate § 72-1367(3)
Part-time earnings Wages above half of your weekly amount deducted; no payment at 1.5 times your weekly amount or more § 72-1367(4); Idaho Labor claimant guide
Waiting week One unpaid week per benefit year Idaho Labor claimant guide
Work search At least five valid work search actions per week Idaho Labor claimant guide
Appeal deadline 14 calendar days from the mailing date Idaho Labor claimant guide
Taxes Fully taxable income; Idaho Labor withholds federal tax (10%) on request but cannot withhold state tax Idaho Labor

TL;DR: Idaho pays 1/26 of your best base-period quarter, up to $624 a week for claims filed in 2026, which means about half of your weekly pay up to roughly $64,900 a year. The number of weeks is unusual: a table in Idaho Code § 72-1367 gives 10 to 26 weeks depending on how your base-period wages compare with your best quarter and on the state unemployment rate. At today’s rate, steady earners get 21 weeks and workers whose pay was concentrated in one quarter get 10. Idaho ranks 24th of 51 for its weekly maximum but pays less than every neighboring state.

The $624 Maximum for 2026

The maximum weekly benefit is 55% of the state average weekly wage for the preceding calendar year, set by the director for new claims filed from the first full week of January (Idaho Code § 72-1367(2)). Administrative Order 683 sets it at $624, based on an average weekly wage of $1,135.33, for claims filed from the first full week of January 2026 until the first full week of January 2027 (Idaho Labor). Because the weekly amount is 1/26 of a 13-week quarter, it replaces half of your average weekly wage in your best quarter until the cap, which is reached at $16,224 in one quarter. The table assumes equal quarters and 21 weeks; computed by RemoteLaws.

Annual pay (even quarters) Highest quarter Weekly benefit Share of weekly pay replaced Total at 21 weeks
$10,000 $2,500 $96 50% $2,016
$20,000 $5,000 $192 50% $4,032
$40,000 $10,000 $384 50% $8,064
$64,896 $16,224 $624 50% $13,104
$80,000 $20,000 $624 41% $13,104
$100,000 $25,000 $624 32% $13,104

Idaho’s cap arrives much later than in many states: a worker earning about $64,900 a year still receives a full 50% of pay. The maximum resets every January, so claims filed from January 2027 will use a new figure.

Your Wage Ratio Sets Your Weeks

Idaho does not give everyone the same number of weeks. Divide your total base-period wages by your highest quarter: the result runs from 1.25 (the minimum to qualify) to 4.00 (the same pay in every quarter). The higher the ratio and the higher the unemployment rate, the more weeks (Idaho Code § 72-1367(3)). The rate used depends on when the benefit week begins: weeks starting October through December use the preceding August rate, January through March the November rate, April through June the February rate and July through September the May rate.

Wage ratio (selected rows) 8% or more 7.0–7.9% 6.0–6.9% 5.0–5.9% 4.0–4.9% 3.0–3.9% 2.9% or less
1.25–1.60 10 10 10 10 10 10 10
1.80–1.92 12 11 10 10 10 10 10
2.08–2.14 15 14 13 12 11 10 10
2.38–2.49 19 18 17 16 15 14 13
2.91–3.10 23 22 21 20 19 18 17
3.56–4.00 26 25 24 23 22 21 20

Selected rows from the statutory table, which has 17 ratio bands. The Bureau of Labor Statistics puts Idaho’s seasonally adjusted rate at 3.6% in August 2026 (BLS, October 20, 2026), the 3.0–3.9% column, so weeks starting in October through December 2026 range from 10 to 21, pending Idaho Labor’s official figure. At that rate, a worker with equal pay in four quarters (ratio 4.00) gets 21 weeks; one with $7,150 in one quarter and $3,575 spread over the others (ratio 1.50) gets 10. Twenty-six weeks require both an unemployment rate of 8% or more and a ratio above 3.56.

Idaho Unemployment Calculator: Estimate Your Benefit or a Part-Time Week

Enter your gross wages for each base-period quarter; the calculator labels them from today’s date. It applies the $1,872 and 1.25 tests, divides your best quarter by 26 up to $624, computes your wage ratio and reads your weeks from the statutory table for the unemployment rate you select. The second tab applies the half-benefit allowance for a part-time week.

Qualifying: $1,872 and the 1.25 Rule

You need a minimum qualifying amount of covered wages in at least one base-period quarter and total base-period wages of at least 1.25 times your highest quarter. The minimum is reset every January 1 as 50% of the state minimum wage times 520 hours, rounded down to a multiple of 26 (Idaho Code § 72-1367(1)); the Department of Labor lists it at $1,872 for 2026 (U.S. DOL, July 2026). That quarter divided by 26 gives the $72 minimum weekly amount. The 1.25 test means the other three quarters together must reach a quarter of your best one.

Your job separation and your weekly availability are reviewed separately; quitting or being fired can stop payments, and failing to tell Idaho Labor about a quit, discharge or refused job is treated as fraud (Idaho Labor claimant guide).

Part-Time Work: Half Your Benefit Is Free

Wages for part-time work are deducted only to the extent they exceed half of your weekly benefit amount, and benefits are rounded down to the dollar; severance pay counts as wages (Idaho Code § 72-1367(4), (5)). Idaho Labor pays partial benefits when you earn less than 1.5 times your weekly benefit amount (claimant guide). The table uses a $624 weekly amount; computed by RemoteLaws.

Earnings that week Deducted Benefit paid Earnings plus benefit
$0 $0 $624 $624
$150 $0 $624 $774
$312 $0 $624 $936
$400 $88 $536 $936
$600 $288 $336 $936
$936 $624 $0 $936

Idaho’s allowance is generous by national standards: a $624 claimant can earn $312 a week with no reduction. Above that, each dollar earned costs a dollar of benefits until earnings reach $936, 1.5 times the weekly amount.

Waiting Week and Five Work Search Actions

The first week of your claim is an unpaid waiting week, served once per benefit year. You must submit a weekly certification for each week you want paid and complete at least five valid work search actions per week; contacting your own part-time employer does not count (Idaho Labor claimant guide).

How Idaho Compares

Using the maximum weekly benefits without dependents’ allowances in the U.S. Department of Labor July 2026 survey (with Washington at $1,208), Idaho’s $624 ranks 24th of the 50 states and D.C., tied with New Mexico and Ohio. Twenty-three jurisdictions pay more. Yet all six neighboring states pay more than Idaho. Ranking computed by RemoteLaws.

State Maximum weekly benefit Weeks Highest possible claim National rank (of 51)
Washington $1,208 1 to 26 $31,408 1
Oregon $902 1 to 26 $23,452 5
Utah $806 10 to 26 $20,956 10
Montana $767 8 to 24 $18,408 12
Wyoming $671 11 to 26 $17,446 16
Nevada $657 8 to 26 $17,082 19
Idaho $624 10 to 26 $16,224 24

Highest possible claim is the maximum weekly benefit times the maximum weeks, computed by RemoteLaws; most states reach those weeks only under specific conditions. Idaho’s 26 weeks require an 8% unemployment rate, so at current rates an Idaho maximum claim is $13,104 (21 × $624).

Taxes

Idaho Labor states that benefits are fully taxable income. You can have 10% withheld for federal tax, but Idaho Labor cannot withhold state tax, so plan for any Idaho income tax you owe (Idaho Labor, Reporting Benefits).

Appeals: 14 Days

If you disagree with a determination, you must protest within 14 calendar days from its mailing date; appeals are handled by the Idaho Labor Appeals Bureau (Idaho Labor claimant guide). Keep filing weekly certifications while you wait.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much unemployment will I get in Idaho?

Half of your average weekly pay in your best base-period quarter: Idaho divides that quarter by 26, up to $624 a week for claims filed in 2026. The Idaho unemployment calculator on this page applies that formula, the qualifying tests and the weeks table to your own wages.

What is the maximum unemployment benefit in Idaho in 2026?

$624 a week for claims filed from the first full week of January 2026, set by Idaho Labor Administrative Order 683 at 55% of the state average weekly wage. It is reached with $16,224 in one quarter.

How many weeks of unemployment can you get in Idaho?

From 10 to 26. The weeks depend on the ratio of your base-period wages to your best quarter and on the state unemployment rate; at the current rate (3.0% to 3.9%), the range is 10 to 21 weeks.

How much do I need to earn to qualify in Idaho?

At least $1,872 in one base-period quarter for 2026 claims, and total base-period wages of at least 1.25 times your highest quarter.

Can I work part-time and collect unemployment in Idaho?

Yes. Earnings up to half of your weekly benefit amount are not deducted; above that, each dollar reduces your benefit, and no benefit is paid once you earn 1.5 times your weekly amount.

Is Idaho unemployment taxable?

Yes. Idaho Labor calls benefits fully taxable income; it can withhold 10% for federal tax but cannot withhold state tax.

How long do I have to appeal in Idaho?

14 calendar days from the mailing date of the determination.

What We Verified & Correction Log

For this update we reviewed Idaho Code section 72-1367, Idaho Labor Administrative Order 683, the Idaho Labor unemployment claimant guide (revision 06/2024), the Idaho Labor page on reporting benefits for taxes, the BLS state unemployment table of October 20, 2026 and the U.S. Department of Labor Significant Provisions of State UI Laws (July 2026), all accessed October 26, 2026. Replacement rates, weeks, totals, part-time payments and the national ranking were computed by RemoteLaws.

Correction log. October 26, 2026: page rebuilt with a new calculator. The previous page gave a $590 maximum; for claims filed from January 2026 the maximum is $624 (Administrative Order 683). It also said state tax withholding was available; Idaho Labor states it cannot withhold state tax. Added the full duration logic with the statutory wage-ratio table, the $1,872 qualifying quarter, the half-benefit part-time allowance and the comparison with neighboring states. January 29, 2026: page first published.

Idaho: Minimum wage · Overtime laws · Paid leave · Termination laws · State income tax

Neighboring states: Washington · Oregon · Utah · Montana · Nevada · All 50 states

Federal guides: How to file for unemployment · WARN Act · Final paycheck laws by state