Oregon unemployment benefits pay 1.25% of your total base-period wages. — up to $872 per week for up to 1-26 weeks, for the period January 1, 2026 (DOL table); this state resets each July, so the July 2026 adjustment may not be in this figure.
This guide gives the exact Oregon unemployment benefits figures with the date we verified them, shows how your own weekly amount is calculated with a worked example, and explains when the first payment arrives and how it is taxed. Figures are from the United States Department of Labor’s state-law tables effective January 1, 2026, read October 2026; confirm the current amount with Oregon Employment Department before you rely on it.
Oregon Unemployment Benefits at a Glance
| Maximum weekly benefit | $872 (January 1, 2026 (DOL table); this state resets each July, so the July 2026 adjustment may not be in this figure) |
| Minimum weekly benefit | $204 |
| How the amount is set | 1.25% of your total base-period wages. |
| Duration | up to 1-26 weeks |
| Waiting week | Yes — first eligible week unpaid |
| Base period | The first four of the last five completed calendar quarters before the week you file. |
| Statute | ORS ch. 657 |
In This Oregon Unemployment Benefits Guide:
How Much Are Oregon Unemployment Benefits?
1.25% of your total base-period wages. The minimum weekly payment is $204 and the maximum is $872. Those are the numbers that matter: most claimants land between them, and nobody is paid above the cap no matter how much they earned.
Want an estimate for your own wages in Oregon?
Oregon Unemployment Benefits at a Glance
Figures are from the United States Department of Labor’s state-law tables effective January 1, 2026, read October 2026; confirm the current amount with Oregon Employment Department before you rely on it. The statute column is where to check it yourself.
| Maximum weekly benefit | $872 |
| Effective period | January 1, 2026 (DOL table); this state resets each July, so the July 2026 adjustment may not be in this figure |
| Minimum weekly benefit | $204 |
| Formula | 1.25% of your total base-period wages. |
| Duration (weeks) | 1-26 |
| Waiting week | Yes |
| Base period | The first four of the last five completed calendar quarters before the week you file. |
| Alternate base period | Yes |
| To qualify | Base-period wages over $1,000 and 1.5 times the high quarter, or 500 hours of work in the base period. |
| Partial-week earnings | the greater of 1/3 of the weekly benefit amount or $163 |
| Agency | Oregon Employment Department |
| File online | https://unemployment.oregon.gov/ |
| Statute | ORS ch. 657 |
How Oregon Unemployment Benefits Are Calculated
Oregon generally sets the weekly benefit at 1.25% of your total gross wages in the base year, which is usually the first four of the last five completed calendar quarters before you file. The result is then held between the state’s minimum and maximum weekly amounts (ORS 657.150). Oregon does not add an allowance for dependents.
Your base year depends on the date you file, not the date you lost your job.
Base-period wages over $1,000 and 1.5 times the high quarter, or 500 hours of work in the base period.
Oregon Unemployment Benefits: A Worked Example
Say a worker earned 40000 across all four base-year quarters. 1.25% of 40000 is 500, so the weekly amount would be about 500, provided it falls between the state minimum and maximum. This is only an illustration, not anyone’s actual award. Your Wage and Potential Benefit Report shows your real figure. The estimate is illustrative; Oregon Employment Department computes the official amount from your wage records.
How Long Oregon Unemployment Benefits Last
Regular Oregon unemployment benefits run up to 1-26 weeks in a benefit year. DOL’s most recent trigger notice found (effective May 24, 2026) shows Oregon’s total unemployment rate at 5.2%. That is below the 6.5% Extended Benefits threshold, and no Oregon extended-benefits period was found active. Regular state benefits only. Confirm current status on DOL’s trigger notice page.
The first eligible week is a waiting week: you file for it but it is not paid.
Working Part-Time While Claiming Oregon Unemployment Benefits
If you work part-time during a week you claim, Oregon subtracts the part of your gross earnings above a set allowance, and that allowance is the greater of ten times the state minimum hourly wage or one-third of your weekly benefit amount (ORS 657.150).
Report your gross earnings for the week you did the work, not the week you were paid. the greater of 1/3 of the weekly benefit amount or $163 Report every dollar on the weekly claim — unreported earnings are the most common route to an overpayment.
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Oregon’s FAQ says you do not report severance pay or accrued leave paid out after you separate, so these generally do not reduce benefits. Vacation, holiday or sick pay from a current employer must be reported for the week you were off. A pension or retirement payment run by a base-year employer or union can reduce benefits dollar for dollar.
You must disclose it when you file, and an adjudicator reviews it.
When and How Oregon Unemployment Benefits Are Paid
File your first weekly claim on the Sunday after you submit your application. That first week is generally unpaid, so for most claimants the first payment follows the second weekly claim, about 2 weeks after filing. Payment starts with the first week you meet every eligibility requirement. An open eligibility issue can delay it until an adjudicator decides. You can be paid by direct deposit or on a prepaid U.S.
Bank ReliaCard Visa debit card. If direct deposit isn’t set up before your first payment is issued, the state automatically mails you a ReliaCard. To change your method, use “Update Benefit Payment Method” in the Benefit Details panel of Frances Online. Keep the card, because payments go back to it if a direct deposit fails. Each claim week runs Sunday through Saturday.
You can claim a week starting the Sunday after it ends, through Frances Online or the automated phone line. You must finish it before midnight the following Saturday, or the claim is late. Late or missed weekly claims can delay or deny payment for that week, so confirm your due dates in Frances Online.
Taxes on Oregon Unemployment Benefits
Unemployment benefits count as taxable income for both federal and Oregon income tax. Withholding is optional: you can elect 10% for federal and 6% for Oregon, using Form 1040WH or Frances Online. If you don’t elect it, nothing is withheld. Each January the department issues a Form 1099-G showing the gross benefits paid and any tax withheld.
Oregon also caps total benefits at the lesser of 26 times the weekly amount or one-third of base-year wages (ORS 657.150). Higher earners can reach the 26-week cap, but workers with uneven wages may get fewer total dollars. If a payment seems smaller than expected, check your Wage and Potential Benefit Report in Frances Online and confirm with the Oregon Employment Department.
Next step: the amount only matters if you qualify. Our Oregon eligibility guide covers the fired-vs-quit rules and the work-search count, and the application guide walks through filing.
Oregon — the bottom line
- The Oregon unemployment benefits amount is a share of your base-period wages up to a dated cap — check the period on the figure before you trust it.
- Oregon unemployment benefits are paid weekly for a set number of weeks; a missed weekly claim is a lost week.
- Part-time earnings reduce Oregon unemployment benefits but rarely erase them — report everything and keep claiming.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much is unemployment in Oregon?
The weekly amount is 1.25% of your total base-period wages. The current maximum is $872 for the period January 1, 2026 (DOL table); this state resets each July, so the July 2026 adjustment may not be in this figure.
How long does unemployment last in Oregon?
Regular benefits run up to 1-26 weeks in a benefit year, depending on your base-period wages. Extended benefits only switch on when the state unemployment rate crosses a trigger.
Does Oregon have a waiting week?
Yes — the first eligible week is not paid, but you must still file for it.
Are Oregon unemployment benefits taxable?
Unemployment benefits count as taxable income for both federal and Oregon income tax. Withholding is optional: you can elect 10% for federal and 6% for Oregon, using Form 1040WH or Frances Online. If you don’t elect it, nothing is withheld. Each January the department issues a Form 1099-G showing the gross benefits paid and any tax withheld.
Official Oregon Sources & Resources
- Oregon Employment Department: https://unemployment.oregon.gov/
- Oregon unemployment statute: ORS ch. 657
- U.S. Department of Labor — Unemployment Insurance: dol.gov
- DOL Significant Provisions of State UI Laws (Jan 2026): https://oui.doleta.gov/unemploy/content/sigpros/2020-2029/January2026.pdf
- DOL Comparison of State UI Laws — Appeals: https://oui.doleta.gov/unemploy/pdf/uilawcompar/2023/appeals.pdf
- DOL Comparison of State UI Laws — Monetary Entitlement: https://oui.doleta.gov/unemploy/pdf/uilawcompar/2021/monetary.pdf
- CareerOneStop (DOL) — state benefit finder: careeronestop.org
- IRS — Form 1099-G: irs.gov
This Oregon unemployment benefits guide was last verified against official Oregon sources in October 2026. Rules change — confirm the current figure with the state agency or a licensed attorney.
More Oregon Unemployment Guides
- Oregon Unemployment Eligibility: Who Qualifies
- How to Apply for Unemployment in Oregon
- Oregon Unemployment Appeal: Deadline and Hearing
- Unemployment Guides for All 50 States
Disclaimer: This guide is general information, not legal or financial advice. My Unemployment Rights is an independent educational resource, not a government agency and not a law firm. Unemployment benefit amounts, deadlines and rules change — every figure here carries the date we verified it. Confirm the current figure and any deadline with your state unemployment agency before you act.