Utah unemployment benefits pay 1/26 of your high-quarter wages minus $5. — up to $806 per week for up to 10-26 weeks, for the period January 1, 2026 (DOL table); next scheduled reset January 2027.
This guide gives the exact Utah 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 Utah Department of Workforce Services before you rely on it.
Utah Unemployment Benefits at a Glance
| Maximum weekly benefit | $806 (January 1, 2026 (DOL table); next scheduled reset January 2027) |
| Minimum weekly benefit | $47 |
| How the amount is set | 1/26 of your high-quarter wages minus $5. |
| Duration | up to 10-26 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 | Utah Code 35A-4 |
In This Utah Unemployment Benefits Guide:
How Much Are Utah Unemployment Benefits?
1/26 of your high-quarter wages minus $5. The minimum weekly payment is $47 and the maximum is $806. 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 Utah?
Utah 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 Utah Department of Workforce Services before you rely on it. The statute column is where to check it yourself.
| Maximum weekly benefit | $806 |
| Effective period | January 1, 2026 (DOL table); next scheduled reset January 2027 |
| Minimum weekly benefit | $47 |
| Formula | 1/26 of your high-quarter wages minus $5. |
| Duration (weeks) | 10-26 |
| 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 | $5,500 in base-period wages and 1.5 times the high quarter. |
| Partial-week earnings | 30% of the weekly benefit amount |
| Agency | Utah Department of Workforce Services |
| File online | https://jobs.utah.gov/ui/home |
| Statute | Utah Code 35A-4 |
How Utah Unemployment Benefits Are Calculated
Utah takes the base-period quarter with your highest wages, divides that quarter’s wages by 26 and subtracts 5. The result is rounded down to a whole dollar and then capped at the state maximum for your claim year (Utah Code 35A-4-401). Utah adds nothing for dependents, so the amount depends only on wages.
$5,500 in base-period wages and 1.5 times the high quarter.
Utah Unemployment Benefits: A Worked Example
Suppose a worker’s best base-period quarter paid 13000 in wages. 13000 divided by 26 is 500, and 500 minus 5 gives a weekly amount of about 495, as long as that is under the maximum for the claim year. This only shows how the math works. The Utah Department of Workforce Services sets each person’s actual amount in its monetary determination.
The estimate is illustrative; Utah Department of Workforce Services computes the official amount from your wage records.
How Long Utah Unemployment Benefits Last
Regular Utah unemployment benefits run up to 10-26 weeks in a benefit year. No federal or state extended-benefits program appears to be active in Utah as of October 2026, so regular state benefits only. Confirm with the Utah Department of Workforce Services. The first eligible week is a waiting week: you file for it but it is not paid.
Working Part-Time While Claiming Utah Unemployment Benefits
You can earn up to 30 percent of your weekly benefit amount in a week without any reduction, and anything above that comes off your payment dollar for dollar. If you earn as much as or more than your weekly amount, or work 40 hours or more, nothing is paid for that week, and gross earnings are reported for the week the work was done.
30% of the weekly benefit amount Report every dollar on the weekly claim — unreported earnings are the most common route to an overpayment.
Vacation pay and severance pay that you are owed because the job ended generally make you ineligible, or reduce your benefits, for the weeks they cover (Utah Code 35A-4-405; Utah Admin. Code R994-405-701 to 702). What counts is when you became entitled to the money, not when it arrived. A payment still in dispute does not count until it is settled.
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Utah offsets a pension from a base-period employer against weekly benefits but does not offset Social Security retirement benefits (Utah Code 35A-4-401). Confirm the details for your situation with DWS.
When and How Utah Unemployment Benefits Are Paid
Utah generally pays an eligible week within 2 business days after the weekly claim for that week is filed. Each weekly claim opens on the Sunday after the Saturday that ends the week. With no eligibility issue pending, most claimants see their first deposit about 2 to 3 weeks after the claim’s effective date.
Any issue that needs a decision, such as the reason for separation or severance pay, holds payment until it is resolved. Utah pays by direct deposit to a bank account you choose or by a Utah debit card. DWS recommends direct deposit, and deposits cannot go to a prepaid or reloadable card.
To choose or change the method, sign in at jobs.utah.gov, open “my Unemployment,” then My Profile > Payment Information. If you are offline, mail Form 682 with a voided check. The claim week runs Sunday through Saturday. File each weekly claim online at jobs.utah.gov as soon as possible after the Saturday that ends the week, using your PIN as your signature.
Keep filing every week even while a decision is pending, because unfiled weeks are not paid. A weekly claim filed 21 or more days after the week-ending date is denied unless you show good cause (Utah Admin. Code R994-403-105a).
Taxes on Utah Unemployment Benefits
Unemployment benefits count as taxable income for both federal and Utah income tax. Once you are found eligible, you can choose flat federal withholding of 10 percent plus Utah state withholding, or you can make estimated tax payments yourself. Early each year DWS issues Form 1099-G, viewable in your jobs.utah.gov account. It shows the benefits paid (Box 1), federal tax withheld (Box 4) and state tax withheld (Box 11).
Utah takes weekly claims online at jobs.utah.gov, not by phone. If you have trouble filing, the Claims Assistance and Re-Employment (CARE) Team helps through Live Chat. On top of dividing the high quarter by 26, Utah subtracts a flat 5 dollars, and wages from part-time work are reported for the week the work was done, not the week you were paid.
Next step: the amount only matters if you qualify. Our Utah eligibility guide covers the fired-vs-quit rules and the work-search count, and the application guide walks through filing.
Utah — the bottom line
- The Utah 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.
- Utah unemployment benefits are paid weekly for a set number of weeks; a missed weekly claim is a lost week.
- Part-time earnings reduce Utah unemployment benefits but rarely erase them — report everything and keep claiming.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much is unemployment in Utah?
The weekly amount is 1/26 of your high-quarter wages minus $5. The current maximum is $806 for the period January 1, 2026 (DOL table); next scheduled reset January 2027.
How long does unemployment last in Utah?
Regular benefits run up to 10-26 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 Utah have a waiting week?
Yes — the first eligible week is not paid, but you must still file for it.
Are Utah unemployment benefits taxable?
Unemployment benefits count as taxable income for both federal and Utah income tax. Once you are found eligible, you can choose flat federal withholding of 10 percent plus Utah state withholding, or you can make estimated tax payments yourself. Early each year DWS issues Form 1099-G, viewable in your jobs.utah.gov account. It shows the benefits paid (Box 1), federal tax withheld (Box 4) and state tax withheld (Box 11).
Official Utah Sources & Resources
- Utah Department of Workforce Services: https://jobs.utah.gov/ui/home
- Utah unemployment statute: Utah Code 35A-4
- 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 Utah unemployment benefits guide was last verified against official Utah sources in October 2026. Rules change — confirm the current figure with the state agency or a licensed attorney.
More Utah Unemployment Guides
- Utah Unemployment Eligibility: Who Qualifies
- How to Apply for Unemployment in Utah
- Utah 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.