Connecticut unemployment in 2026: up to $721 a week, plus $15 per dependent
Connecticut pays one twenty-sixth of the average of your two best quarters, between $44 and $721 a week, and adds an allowance for dependents.
Unemployment in Connecticut
$432
a week, for up to 26 weeks · $11,232 in all
| Weekly benefit | $432 |
| Weeks payable | 26 weeks |
| Total if you stay unemployed | $11,232 |
| Federal income tax on it, about | $1,228 |
| 10% federal withholding, if you ask (W-4V) | $43 a week |
| State income tax on it | check your state |
| Your take-home pay now, a week | $733 |
| Share of take-home pay replaced | 59 % before tax |
Connecticut: 1/26 avg of 2 HQs + $15 per dep, up to 5; DA capped at WBA; $44 to $721 a week, more with dependents.
Compiled by Radif Partners · How the estimates are built · state laws and agency pages read October 20, 2026
The Connecticut Department of Labor averages the wages of the two highest quarters in your base period and pays one twenty-sixth of that average, roughly half of your weekly pay in those quarters. For 2026 the base range is $44 to $721, and the ceiling takes an average of about $18,747 a quarter, around $74,988 a year of steady pay. So $45,000 gives $432 a week and $60,000 gives $576. A dependents allowance of $15 per dependent, for up to five, comes on top, which takes the possible maximum to $796; the allowance can never exceed the base benefit itself. Every eligible claimant receives up to 26 weeks, with no cap tied to wages. The only wage test is that base-period earnings reach 40 times the weekly amount, so someone at $576 needs $23,040. A full claim at $60,000 pays $14,976.
The allowance that rides above the cap
In Maryland and New Jersey, a dependents allowance stops at the state maximum. Connecticut's does not. The Department of Labor table of July 2026 gives a base ceiling of $721 and a ceiling with dependents of $796, which is $721 plus five allowances of $15. A claimant at the top of the scale with two children therefore receives $751. The one restriction runs the other way: the allowance cannot be larger than the weekly benefit, which only matters for the smallest claims, and explains why the lowest amount with dependents is $88.
The calculator shows the base benefit. Add $15 for each dependent you will declare, and keep in mind that the department may ask for proof of the relationship before it pays the allowance.
Your Connecticut benefit
Unemployment in Connecticut
$432
| Weekly benefit | $432 |
| Weeks payable | 26 weeks |
| Total if you stay unemployed | $11,232 |
| Federal income tax on it, about | $1,228 |
Two quarters, averaged
Connecticut uses the mean of your two strongest quarters, then divides by 26. Uneven pay helps less than in a single-quarter state but still counts: $40,000 with $15,000 and $12,000 in the two best quarters gives $519, against $384 for the same pay spread evenly. For a single filer on $60,000, who takes home about $963 a week after federal tax, payroll taxes and the paid leave contribution, the $576 benefit is 60 % of take-home pay before tax.
A uniform 26 weeks
Connecticut gives the same duration to everyone who qualifies: 26 weeks in the benefit year, without a share-of-wages limit. The wage test is equally plain, base-period earnings of at least 40 times the weekly benefit. The duration guide lists the other states with a uniform duration.
Weekly certification and part-time earnings
Claimants certify each week online with the Department of Labor and keep a record of their work search. A third of gross earnings is disregarded and the remaining two thirds reduce the check. With a benefit of $576 and $270 of earnings, the payment is $396. The partial unemployment guide has the rules of every state.
Benefits are subject to federal income tax (IRS Topic 418), and 10% withholding is available if you ask for it when you file or later in the claim. A leave for your own health or a family member's goes through CT Paid Leave, a separate program.
Connecticut unemployment rules in force in 2026
| Rule | Connecticut |
|---|---|
| Earnings needed in the base period | 40 x WBA |
| Weekly benefit formula | 1/26 avg of 2 HQs + $15 per dep, up to 5; DA capped at WBA |
| Weekly benefit, 2026 | $44 to $721 ($88 to $796 with dependents) |
| Most you can draw in a benefit year | N/A (uniform duration) |
| Weeks payable | 26 |
| Pay you can earn in a week without losing benefits | 1/3 wages |