Unemployment Compensation

The Department of Economic Security determines benefit amounts according to the gross earned wages that were covered by Unemployment Insurance Tax paid by your employer(s) during your time of employment that makes up your Base Period.

As an employee, you are not required to pay into the Unemployment Insurance Trust Fund.

When you meet all of the requirements and are found to be eligible, you will receive a Weekly Benefit Amount. You will be notified of your Weekly Benefit Amount in your Wages Statement letter, along with other weekly required actions in order to continue to claim Unemployment Insurance.

Your eligibility or disqualification is determined by the Department of Economic Security each week you claim benefits. You must continue to meet all eligibility requirements for the duration of your open claim.

When you apply for benefits, it is important that your employment history be as accurate as possible. Your wages statement will show all employers that reported paying you wages during your Base Period, and that is what is used to determine your benefit amounts.

Calculating Arizona Unemployment Compensation

Determine Your Weekly Benefit Amount

Your Weekly Benefit Amount (WBA) is 4 percent of your highest quarter Base Period gross wages. The maximum WBA in Arizona is $240.00, and you cannot collect more than 26 times your weekly claimed benefits in your Benefit Year.

Determine Your Maximum Benefit Amount

Your Maximum Benefit Amount (MBA) is determined using your qualifying total Base Period wages. The amount of unemployment benefits you can collect over your Benefit Year is one-third of your Base Period, and cannot be more than 26 times your WBA.

Examples:

Total Base Period Wages: $10,000.00

1/3 of $10,000 = $3,333.00 MBA you can collect during your Benefit Year.

Highest Base Period Quarter: $3,500

4% of $3,500 = $140.00 WBA you will collect over the life of your UI Claim, as long as you continue to qualify or your MBA is exhausted.