Arizona Unemployment Benefits 2026: $320 Max, Eligibility, Filing

Arizona's weekly unemployment benefit runs from a minimum of $236 to a maximum of $320, according to the Arizona Department of Economic Security (DES). The $320 cap is a fixed figure written into A.R.S. 23-779 and has applied since July 1, 2022. Arizona adds nothing for dependents.

Benefits currently last up to 24 weeks. Under A.R.S. 23-780, the total you can draw in a benefit year is 24 times your weekly amount when Arizona's unemployment rate for the prior calendar quarter is under 5%, and 26 times when it is 5% or more, never more than one-third of your base-period wages. DES puts the most anyone can collect on a claim at $7,680.

DES runs the program and takes claims online through its CACTUS claimant portal. For how the federal-state system works nationally, see our guide to unemployment benefits by state.

Information last verified on October 7, 2026. This article has not been reviewed by a licensed lawyer.

Jurisdiction scope: This page covers regular state unemployment insurance in Arizona under Title 23, Chapter 4 of the Arizona Revised Statutes. It does not cover federal programs for federal workers and veterans (UCFE/UCX), Disaster Unemployment Assistance, extended benefits, Shared Work, or claims filed in other states.

Who is eligible for unemployment in Arizona

Arizona looks at your wages in a base period: "the first four of the last five completed calendar quarters immediately preceding the first day of an individual's benefit year" (A.R.S. 23-605). The DES eligibility page describes only this standard base period. Your benefit year runs one year from the first day of the first week of unemployment you claim (A.R.S. 23-609).

Your base-period wages must pass one of two tests under A.R.S. 23-771(A)(6). DES states them this way:

• Test one. "Earn at least 390 times the Arizona minimum wage in your highest earning quarter. Earn at least half of that amount in the other three quarters combined." The statute uses the Arizona minimum wage in effect when you file, and requires total base-period wages of at least one and one-half times your highest quarter.
• Test two. "Earn at least $8,000 total wages in at least two quarters of the base period. Earn at least $7,987.50 in one of those quarters or more."

If you are filing a second claim after an earlier benefit year, you also need to have earned at least eight times your weekly benefit amount in new work in between (A.R.S. 23-771(A)(7)).

For each week you claim, you must be able to work, available for work, and actively looking for work. You must also be registered for work, which DES handles automatically when you apply (see the work search section below).

How much unemployment pays in Arizona

A.R.S. 23-779(A) sets the weekly benefit amount at "1/25 of the person's total wages for insured work paid during that quarter of the person's base period in which such total wages were highest." DES describes the same rule as 4% of your highest quarter. The result is rounded to the nearest dollar and capped at $320.

For example, if your highest base-period quarter paid $7,000, your weekly benefit would be $7,000 divided by 25, or $280. A highest quarter of $8,000 or more reaches the $320 cap.

DES lists the current minimum weekly amount as $236. Arizona adds no allowance for dependents, so the weekly figure is the same whether or not you support a spouse or children.

Once your claim is set, your weekly amount stays put for the benefit year. The statute says it "shall not be redetermined during the person's benefit year because of a new maximum or minimum weekly benefit amount becoming effective."

You can estimate your amount with our Arizona unemployment calculator. DES sets your actual benefit in the Monetary Determination it mails you.

How long unemployment lasts in Arizona

A.R.S. 23-780 sets your total benefits for the benefit year at the lesser of two amounts:

• A multiple of your weekly benefit tied to the unemployment rate. It is "Twenty-six times the individual's weekly benefit amount if the unemployment rate in the prior calendar quarter is five percent or more," and "Twenty-four times the individual's weekly benefit amount if the unemployment rate in the prior calendar quarter is less than five percent."
• One-third of your base-period wages. Lower earners can run out before 24 full weeks for this reason.

The statute defines the prior-quarter rate as the average of the seasonally adjusted unemployment rates for the three months of the most recently published calendar quarter, as published by the Arizona Office of Economic Opportunity (OEO). Because the tier is set quarter by quarter, it can change.

DES currently states: "The claimant may collect up to 24 weeks of benefits, or 1/3 of his/her total base period wages, whichever is less, during a benefit year (a 52-week period). If a claimant qualifies for the maximum weekly benefit amount of $320, the maximum total amount that may be collected on a given claim is $7,680." Check the total on your own Monetary Determination.

The waiting week

Arizona has an unpaid waiting week. A.R.S. 23-771(A)(5) requires that you have "been unemployed for a waiting period of one week."

DES explains that the first week of a claim in which you meet all eligibility requirements is the waiting week, and "By law, benefits are not payable for that period." You must still file a waiting-week claim for it.

Quitting a job and collecting unemployment in Arizona

You are disqualified if you "left work voluntarily without good cause in connection with the employment" (A.R.S. 23-775(1)). The disqualification covers the week you quit and, beyond the waiting week, lasts until you have earned wages equal to five times your weekly benefit amount.

DES places the burden on you. When a worker quits and believes they should still receive benefits, DES says "the worker must present evidence to establish that he/she had no other alternative but to end the employment relationship."

The statute and DES recognize some situations that do not lead to disqualification:

• Domestic violence. DES "shall not disqualify an individual" who is a victim of domestic violence and leaves employment "due to a documented case involving domestic violence pursuant to section 13-3601 or 13-3601.02" (A.R.S. 23-771(D)).
• Transportation and military moves. If you quit because of transportation difficulties, A.R.S. 23-775(1) disqualifies you unless your travel requirements exceed the normal practice in your occupation or compelling personal circumstances required you to leave. Its examples of compelling circumstances include living more than 30 miles from work, needing more than one and a half hours to get to work, and a spouse or unemancipated minor leaving work to accompany a spouse or parent in the armed services who is transferred by official orders.
• Compelling personal reasons. DES's determination table treats leaving for a compelling personal reason not attributable to the employer as eligible, with benefits not charged to the employer.

Arizona is an at-will state, so an employer can usually end the job without a stated reason; see Arizona at-will employment laws. Whatever the reason you left, your employer still owes you your earned wages, covered in Arizona final paycheck laws.

Being fired for misconduct in Arizona

Being let go does not by itself disqualify you. The disqualification applies if you were "discharged for wilful or negligent misconduct connected with the employment" (A.R.S. 23-775(2)), and it lasts, beyond the waiting week, until you earn five times your weekly benefit amount in new wages.

A.R.S. 23-619.01(A) defines misconduct connected with the employment as "any act or omission by an employee which constitutes a material or substantial breach of the employee's duties or obligations pursuant to the employment or contract of employment or which adversely affects a material or substantial interest of the employer."

The statute's list of wilful or negligent misconduct includes, among other things:

• Absence without notice or good cause, and repeated or frequent unexcused absences.
• Repeated intoxication.
• Failing or refusing an employer drug or alcohol test given under Arizona's drug testing law.
• Refusing or knowingly failing to perform reasonable assigned duties.
• Insubordination.

Under A.R.S. 23-771(E), you are not disqualified for being terminated because you did not receive a COVID-19 vaccine or booster your employer required.

Work search requirements

DES requires you to "Search for work on at least 4 different days each week" and "Make at least 4 work search contacts each week." The statute says the same thing: a systematic and sustained effort on at least four days of the week, with at least one job contact per day on four different days (A.R.S. 23-771).

Keep records of every contact. DES may review your work search records for up to two years after your claim begins. The requirement does not apply if you are applying for Shared Work benefits.

When you apply, DES automatically registers you with Arizona Job Connection within two days, and encourages you to complete your profile and create a resume. Some claimants are also scheduled for a virtual Reemployment Services and Eligibility Assessment (RESEA) appointment.

Turning down work has consequences. Failing without good cause to apply for work you are referred to, to actively seek work, or to accept suitable work disqualifies you until you earn eight times your weekly benefit (A.R.S. 23-776(A)). After your first four weeks, an offer paying at least 120% of your weekly benefit is considered suitable (A.R.S. 23-776(B)). National Guard or reserve drill of up to one weekend a month does not make you unavailable.

Working part time while on unemployment

You can work part time and still receive a reduced benefit. Under A.R.S. 23-779(C), your benefit for the week is your weekly benefit amount "less that part of the wages, if any, payable to the individual with respect to that week that is in excess of $160."

For example, with a $300 weekly benefit and $200 in wages for the week, $40 is above the $160 allowance, so you would receive $260.

Report your gross earnings for the week you did the work, before deductions, even if you have not been paid yet. DES also says that if your earnings for a week equal or exceed your weekly benefit amount, you will not receive benefits for that week, so do not count on a partial payment in a week when you earn your full benefit amount or more. Vacation, holiday, sick and severance pay assigned to a week work similarly: more than your weekly benefit amount means no benefit that week, and a smaller amount is deducted as earnings.

How to file for unemployment in Arizona

File as soon as you lose your job or your hours are cut. You can apply online at any hour.

• Online: the DES claimant portal, CACTUS, for both your application and your weekly claims.
• By phone: the UI Call Center at 1-877-600-2722 (toll free), (602) 364-2722 in Phoenix, or (520) 791-2722 in Tucson. For recorded claim and payment status information, the automated line is 1-877-766-8477.
• By mail: DES also makes a paper claim form available.

Identity verification through ID.me is part of the process. Within about a week, DES mails you the Guide to Arizona UI Benefits (UIB-1240A) and your Monetary Determination.

Have ready your Social Security number, mailing address and county, driver license or state ID number, and your employment history for the last 18 months (each employer's name, address and phone). Add your last day worked, any severance, vacation, holiday or sick pay with dates, any union hall name, any pension other than Social Security with its start date and monthly amount, and your alien registration number if you have one. Former service members need DD-214 copy 4, and former federal civilian workers need an SF-8 or SF-50, for separations in the last 18 months.

After that, file a weekly claim and report any work or earnings for the week. DES says "The online Weekly Claims System is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week."

Denied unemployment in Arizona: how to appeal

DES says you "have 15 days from the date of the determination to request a reconsideration of the decision or to file an appeal," and that your request "must be received, or postmarked, within 15 days of the date of the determination unless you have good cause for missing the deadline." The statute, A.R.S. 23-773(B), counts 15 calendar days from the date the notice was mailed, or 7 calendar days if it was delivered to you, so the safest course is to act as soon as you receive the notice.

Reconsideration is an option at the first step. Each party may request it once, DES must act within 7 calendar days, and the appeal period then runs from the reconsidered determination.

The appeal levels are:

1. Appeal Tribunal. An administrative law judge in the DES Office of Appeals hears the case. The decision becomes final unless a petition for review is filed within 30 days after it is mailed or electronically transmitted (A.R.S. 23-671(D)).
2. Appeals Board. A three-member board within DES reviews the tribunal decision on that petition (A.R.S. 23-672).
3. Arizona Court of Appeals. File an application for appeal with the clerk of the Appeals Board "within thirty days after the date of mailing or electronic transmission of the decision" (A.R.S. 41-1993(B)). The court may grant or deny the application.

Keep filing while you wait. DES says: "If you have an appeal pending and you remain unemployed, continue to file your weekly claims for benefits." You are paid only for weeks you claimed on time and were eligible.

Overpayments and fraud

If you receive benefits you were not entitled to, you must repay them, and DES can deduct the debt from future benefits (A.R.S. 23-787). Overpayment debts accrue interest at 10% a year. If the overpayment was not your fault, deductions from your weekly benefit are generally capped at 25% of your weekly benefit amount.

If the overpayment was not your fault, DES may waive all or part of it when repayment would be against equity and good conscience. Fraud overpayments and penalties cannot be waived.

For fraud, the statute says DES "shall assess a penalty on the person equal to fifteen percent of the amount of the erroneous payment," and you are not eligible for benefits until the overpayment, penalties and interest are repaid. A separate rule applies if you knowingly made a false statement or nondisclosure to obtain benefits in the 24 months before you file a valid claim: you are disqualified for the week of that claim plus up to 51 more weeks (A.R.S. 23-778). DES describes giving false information to get benefits as a felony.

Is unemployment taxable in Arizona?

Arizona's income tax starts from your federal adjusted gross income (A.R.S. 43-1001), and the subtractions Arizona allows in A.R.S. 43-1022 do not list unemployment compensation. DES lets you choose state withholding: "State tax withholding is 1% of your gross weekly benefit amount."

Benefits are also taxable on your federal return. Our unemployment benefits by state guide covers the federal rules.

Recent bills that did not change the law

Two recent attempts to change Arizona's benefit rules did not become law. HB 2450 (2025), which would have changed how many weeks of benefits are available, was vetoed by the Governor. HB 2847 (2026), titled "DES; unemployment benefits; increase," would have raised the maximum weekly benefit; the legislature's bill status page shows its final disposition as "Held in Committees."

The $320 maximum and the 24-or-26 duration rule in A.R.S. 23-779 and 23-780 remain the law.

Common myths about Arizona unemployment

• "Arizona pays 26 weeks." It pays 24 times your weekly benefit while the prior quarter's unemployment rate is under 5%, and 26 times only at 5% or more, capped at one-third of base-period wages.
• "The maximum is going up." The 2026 bill to raise it was held in committee, and the 2025 duration bill was vetoed. The maximum is still $320.
• "Three job applications a week is enough." Arizona requires at least four work search contacts on four different days each week.
• "Arizona adds money for dependents." A.R.S. 23-779 contains no dependents' allowance.

Disclaimer: This article provides general legal information about Arizona unemployment insurance, not legal advice or a benefit determination. Only the Arizona Department of Economic Security decides whether you are eligible and how much you receive. Information verified October 7, 2026. If your claim is denied, consider consulting a lawyer licensed in Arizona or a legal aid office.

Related

• Unemployment benefits by state
• Arizona unemployment calculator
• Arizona at-will employment laws
• Arizona final paycheck laws
• Arizona minimum wage

Last updated: October 7, 2026.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the maximum unemployment benefit in Arizona?

$320 a week, a fixed cap in A.R.S. 23-779 that has applied since July 1, 2022. DES lists the minimum weekly amount as $236.

How is Arizona unemployment calculated?

DES takes 1/25, or 4%, of the wages in your highest-paid base-period quarter and rounds to the nearest dollar. A $7,000 quarter works out to $280 a week, and $8,000 or more reaches the $320 cap.

How many weeks of unemployment can you get in Arizona?

Up to 24 weeks while Arizona's prior-quarter unemployment rate is under 5%, or 26 weeks when it is 5% or more (A.R.S. 23-780). Total benefits are also capped at one-third of your base-period wages, and DES currently states a 24-week maximum.

How much do I need to earn to qualify for unemployment in Arizona?

Either at least 390 times the Arizona minimum wage in your highest quarter plus half that amount in the other three quarters combined, or at least $8,000 in two quarters with $7,987.50 or more in one of them (A.R.S. 23-771).

Does Arizona have a waiting week for unemployment?

Yes. The first week in which you meet all eligibility requirements is unpaid by law (A.R.S. 23-771(A)(5)), but you must still file a waiting-week claim for it.

Can I get unemployment in Arizona if I quit?

Only if you had good cause in connection with the work, which you must show, or an exception applies, such as leaving because of documented domestic violence. Otherwise you must earn five times your weekly benefit in new wages first (A.R.S. 23-775).

How many job contacts do I need for Arizona unemployment?

At least four work search contacts each week, made on at least four different days. DES may review your records for up to two years after your claim begins.

How much can I earn and still get unemployment in Arizona?

The first $160 of weekly earnings does not reduce your benefit; each dollar above $160 is subtracted (A.R.S. 23-779(C)). With a $300 benefit and $200 in wages, you would receive $260. DES says a week in which you earn your weekly benefit amount or more pays no benefit.

How long do I have to appeal an Arizona unemployment denial?

DES says 15 days from the date of the determination, received or postmarked, unless you have good cause. The statute allows only 7 calendar days if the notice was delivered to you rather than mailed, so act right away. Keep filing weekly claims while the appeal is pending.

Does Arizona tax unemployment benefits?

Arizona's income tax starts from federal adjusted gross income, and its subtractions do not list unemployment compensation. You can elect state withholding of 1% of your gross weekly benefit through DES.

What is the phone number for Arizona unemployment?

The DES UI Call Center is 1-877-600-2722 toll free, (602) 364-2722 in Phoenix, or (520) 791-2722 in Tucson. You can also file online through the CACTUS portal at uibenefits.az.gov.