Connecticut unemployment benefits pay 1/26 of the average of your two highest quarters, plus $15 per dependent (up to 5). — up to $721 (no dependents) / $796 (with maximum dependents allowance) per week for up to 26 (uniform) weeks, for the period January 1, 2026 (DOL table); this state resets each October, so the October 2026 adjustment may not be in this figure.
This guide gives the exact Connecticut 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 Connecticut Department of Labor before you rely on it.
Connecticut Unemployment Benefits at a Glance
| Maximum weekly benefit | $721 (no dependents) / $796 (with maximum dependents allowance) (January 1, 2026 (DOL table); this state resets each October, so the October 2026 adjustment may not be in this figure) |
| Minimum weekly benefit | $44 |
| How the amount is set | 1/26 of the average of your two highest quarters, plus $15 per dependent (up to 5). |
| Duration | up to 26 (uniform) weeks |
| Waiting week | No |
| Base period | The first four of the last five completed calendar quarters before the week you file. |
| Statute | Conn. Gen. Stat. ch. 567 |
In This Connecticut Unemployment Benefits Guide:
How Much Are Connecticut Unemployment Benefits?
1/26 of the average of your two highest quarters, plus $15 per dependent (up to 5). A dependents allowance raises the amount; the higher figure is the maximum with the most dependents. The minimum weekly payment is $44 and the maximum is $721 (no dependents) / $796 (with maximum dependents allowance).
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 Connecticut?
Connecticut 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 Connecticut Department of Labor before you rely on it. The statute column is where to check it yourself.
| Maximum weekly benefit | $721 (no dependents) / $796 (with maximum dependents allowance) |
| Effective period | January 1, 2026 (DOL table); this state resets each October, so the October 2026 adjustment may not be in this figure |
| Minimum weekly benefit | $44 |
| Formula | 1/26 of the average of your two highest quarters, plus $15 per dependent (up to 5). |
| Dependents | A dependents allowance raises the amount; the higher figure is the maximum with the most dependents. |
| Duration (weeks) | 26 (uniform) |
| Waiting week | No |
| 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 of at least 40 times the weekly benefit amount. |
| Partial-week earnings | 1/3 of wages |
| Agency | Connecticut Department of Labor |
| File online | https://portal.ct.gov/dol/unemployment-benefits |
| Statute | Conn. Gen. Stat. ch. 567 |
How Connecticut Unemployment Benefits Are Calculated
Connecticut takes the two quarters with your highest wages in the base period, averages them, divides that average by 26 and rounds down to the next lower whole dollar (Conn. Gen. Stat. § 31-231a). Construction workers are an exception: their rate comes from the single highest quarter divided by 26. You may also get a dependency allowance of 15 per week for each qualifying dependent, up to five.
That allowance is added on top of the weekly rate (Conn. Gen. Stat. § 31-234).
Base-period wages of at least 40 times the weekly benefit amount.
Connecticut Unemployment Benefits: A Worked Example
Say your two highest base-period quarters were 6500 and 5500. Their average is 6000, and 6000 divided by 26 is 230.77, which rounds down to a weekly rate of 230. With two qualifying children, about 30 in dependency allowance would be added. This only shows how the math works and is not an estimate of anyone’s actual award.
The estimate is illustrative; Connecticut Department of Labor computes the official amount from your wage records.
How Long Connecticut Unemployment Benefits Last
Regular Connecticut unemployment benefits run up to 26 (uniform) weeks in a benefit year. No Connecticut extended-benefits period has been announced for October 2026, so only regular state benefits are paid. Check the U.S. Department of Labor’s current EB trigger notice or ask CTDOL. Connecticut has no waiting week — the first eligible week is payable.
Working Part-Time While Claiming Connecticut Unemployment Benefits
If you work part-time while claiming, Connecticut generally subtracts two-thirds of your gross earnings for that week from your weekly rate, so you keep part of what you earn. You have to report all gross earnings for the week you worked them, and you must still be able, available and looking for full-time work.
1/3 of wages Report every dollar on the weekly claim — unreported earnings are the most common route to an overpayment.
Starting with separations on or after January 1, 2024, Connecticut generally deducts severance (dismissal) pay. No benefits are paid for any week the severance covers, which delays benefits. Before that date, severance often did not affect benefits. Vacation pay may be assigned to specific weeks and deducted. A pension paid by a base-period employer generally reduces the weekly amount, with a smaller reduction if you paid into the pension yourself.
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Report every payment and confirm the result with CTDOL (Conn. Gen. Stat. § 31-236).
When and How Connecticut Unemployment Benefits Are Paid
The first payment usually arrives two to four weeks after filing, once the monetary determination is issued and the first weekly claim is processed. You can get benefits by direct deposit to a checking or savings account, or on a U.S. Bank ReliaCard prepaid debit card. You choose when you file in ReEmployCT, and you can change it later in your ReEmployCT account.
CTDOL recommends direct deposit as the fastest option and says the card may carry fees. Claim weeks run Sunday through Saturday. Most claimants file a weekly certification online at ReEmployCT.com for each week they claim, reporting their job search and any earnings. An American Job Center can help with filing. CTDOL states that a week cannot be paid if the weekly certification is not completed.
Confirm any deadline for late certifications with CTDOL.
Taxes on Connecticut Unemployment Benefits
If you have to file a tax return, unemployment benefits are fully taxable by the IRS and by Connecticut. You can choose voluntary withholding when you apply or any time after. Federal tax is withheld at 10 percent and Connecticut tax at 3 percent, and choosing either one turns on both (Regs. Conn. State Agencies § 31-227-1).
Each January, CTDOL issues Form UC-1099G, which you can also find in ReEmployCT under Inquiry.
Connecticut gives most claimants the average of their two highest quarters instead of only the single best quarter, and construction workers use the single highest quarter. Its dependency allowance of 15 per dependent is uncommon among states. The weekly maximum is frozen under Public Act 21-200 and cannot rise again until October 1, 2028. Senate Bill 357 (2026) would raise the dependency allowance.
Search results showed it still in committee, not enacted, so treat it as a proposal only.
Next step: the amount only matters if you qualify. Our Connecticut eligibility guide covers the fired-vs-quit rules and the work-search count, and the application guide walks through filing.
Connecticut — the bottom line
- The Connecticut 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.
- Connecticut unemployment benefits are paid weekly for a set number of weeks; a missed weekly claim is a lost week.
- Part-time earnings reduce Connecticut unemployment benefits but rarely erase them — report everything and keep claiming.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much is unemployment in Connecticut?
The weekly amount is 1/26 of the average of your two highest quarters, plus $15 per dependent (up to 5). The current maximum is $721 (no dependents) / $796 (with maximum dependents allowance) for the period January 1, 2026 (DOL table); this state resets each October, so the October 2026 adjustment may not be in this figure.
How long does unemployment last in Connecticut?
Regular benefits run up to 26 (uniform) 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 Connecticut have a waiting week?
No — benefits are payable from the first eligible week.
Are Connecticut unemployment benefits taxable?
If you have to file a tax return, unemployment benefits are fully taxable by the IRS and by Connecticut. You can choose voluntary withholding when you apply or any time after. Federal tax is withheld at 10 percent and Connecticut tax at 3 percent, and choosing either one turns on both (Regs. Conn. State Agencies § 31-227-1).
Each January, CTDOL issues Form UC-1099G, which you can also find in ReEmployCT under Inquiry.
Official Connecticut Sources & Resources
- Connecticut Department of Labor: https://portal.ct.gov/dol/unemployment-benefits
- Connecticut unemployment statute: Conn. Gen. Stat. ch. 567
- 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 Connecticut unemployment benefits guide was last verified against official Connecticut sources in October 2026. Rules change — confirm the current figure with the state agency or a licensed attorney.
More Connecticut Unemployment Guides
- Connecticut Unemployment Eligibility: Who Qualifies
- How to Apply for Unemployment in Connecticut
- Connecticut 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.