California Unemployment Benefits Calculator

Applies the EDD benefit table DE 1101BT5 (weekly benefit amount from your highest-earning base-period quarter, $40 to $450), the monetary tests in EDD fact sheet DE 8714AB, the maximum benefit amount (lesser of 26 × the weekly amount or half of base-period wages, Cal. Unemp. Ins. Code § 1281) and, for a part-time week, the rule that the greater of $25 or 25% of your wages is not deducted. Estimates only — the Employment Development Department (EDD) determines actual amounts.

Quarter 1 ($)

Quarter 2 ($)

Quarter 3 ($)

Quarter 4 ($)

Quarter 5 ($)Most recent completed quarter — used only for the alternate base period.

How this tool works. The standard base period is the first four of the last five completed calendar quarters; if it does not qualify, the EDD automatically tries the alternate base period, the last four completed quarters (DE 8714AB). A valid claim needs at least $1,300 in the highest quarter, or at least $900 in the highest quarter with base-period wages of at least 1.25 times that quarter. The weekly benefit amount is read from the EDD benefit table for new claims beginning January 2, 2005 or later: $40 at $900, then brackets up to $70, then about 1/26 of the highest quarter, reaching $450 at $11,674.01. The maximum benefit amount is the lesser of 26 times the weekly amount or half of base-period wages, rounded up to the next dollar; there is no minimum number of weeks (Cal. Unemp. Ins. Code § 1281). In a part-time week, the greater of $25 or 25% of your gross wages is disregarded and the rest is subtracted from your weekly amount (EDD Reporting Work and Wages FAQs).

Limitations. This is a calculation, not a determination. Separation issues (quits, discharges), the able-available-searching requirements, the one-week unpaid waiting period, deductible pensions and Extended Benefits are not modeled. The EDD does not say how it rounds a part-time payment with cents, so the second tab shows cents.

Sources: EDD DE 1101BT5 benefit table; EDD DE 8714AB; EDD Reporting Work and Wages FAQs; Cal. Unemp. Ins. Code § 1281; U.S. DOL, Significant Provisions of State UI Laws (July 2026). Rules last verified: October 26, 2026.

This tool provides estimates for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal, tax, or financial advice. RemoteLaws is not a law firm. © 2026 RemoteLaws.