Arkansas Unemployment Benefits 2026: $451 Max, 12 Weeks, Filing

Arkansas's weekly unemployment benefit runs from a minimum of $81 to a maximum of $451. Both figures have been frozen since July 1, 2012, according to the Arkansas Division of Workforce Services (ADWS) Benefit and Earnings Table, which cites Ark. Code 11-10-502. They are not indexed, so they do not change from year to year.

Benefits last no more than 12 weeks. For initial claims filed on or after January 1, 2024, Act 196 of 2023 limits total benefits to the lesser of 12 times your weekly amount or one-third of your base-period wages, so lower earners can receive fewer weeks.

ADWS runs the program and takes claims through its EZARC website. This page covers Arkansas's own rules; for how the federal-state system works nationally, see our guide to unemployment benefits by state.

Information last verified on October 6, 2026. This article has not been reviewed by a licensed lawyer.

Jurisdiction scope: This page covers regular state unemployment insurance in Arkansas, administered by the Arkansas Division of Workforce Services. It does not cover federal programs for federal workers and veterans (UCFE/UCX), Disaster Unemployment Assistance, extended benefits, or claims filed in other states.

Who is eligible for unemployment in Arkansas

Arkansas looks at your earnings in a base period. The ADWS claimant handbook describes it as the work you did in the 12 to 18 months before you file. Your benefit year begins on the first day of the first month of the calendar quarter in which you file and runs up to 52 weeks.

To be monetarily eligible, you need both of the following:

• Wages for insured work in at least two quarters of your base period.
• Total base-period wages of at least 35 times your weekly benefit amount.

The ADWS Benefit and Earnings Table shows what that means in dollars. The minimum $81 weekly benefit requires $2,835 in base-period wages, which is 35 times $81.

ADWS mails you a Monetary Determination after you file. Check that every employer you worked for in the base period is listed, and contact ADWS if one is missing.

How much unemployment pays in Arkansas

Your weekly benefit amount is based on your average quarterly wages across the four quarters of your base period. Ark. Code 11-10-502 sets it at one twenty-sixth of that average, rounded down to the next lower whole dollar, and held between $81 and $451. ADWS publishes the result as its Benefit and Earnings Table, keyed on average base-period wages.

For example, if you earned $40,000 in your base period, your average quarter is $10,000. One twenty-sixth of that is about $384 a week. Under the table, an average quarter of $11,726 or more reaches the $451 maximum.

Because the formula averages all four quarters, a quarter with little or no work pulls your weekly amount down. Arkansas adds nothing for dependents.

You can estimate your amount with our Arkansas unemployment calculator. Only ADWS determines your actual benefit.

How long unemployment lasts in Arkansas

For initial claims filed on or after January 1, 2024, your maximum benefits in a benefit year are the lesser of:

• 12 times your weekly benefit amount, or
• one-third of your base-period wages.

That rule comes from Act 196 of 2023, which cut Arkansas's maximum from 16 weeks to 12. The handbook puts it simply: "You may qualify for up to 12 weeks per claim." Arkansas does not tie duration to the unemployment rate, so there are no tiers to check.

Because of the one-third cap, some claimants receive fewer than 12 full weeks. Confirm your own figures on the Monetary Determination ADWS mails you.

The waiting week

Arkansas has an unpaid waiting week. The handbook says: "The first eligible week on your claim is considered your waiting week. You must still meet the eligibility requirements for the week, but you will not be paid for this week."

Payments begin with your next eligible week, and the waiting week is not paid back later. That is one reason to file as soon as you lose work.

Quitting a job and collecting unemployment in Arkansas

ADWS disqualifies you if you "voluntarily and without good cause connected with the work left [your] last work" (Ark. Code 11-10-513). The disqualification lasts until you have worked at least 30 days in covered employment after the disqualification date.

The statute recognizes some reasons for leaving that do not disqualify you, provided you first made reasonable efforts to keep your job rights. They include:

• A personal emergency of compelling urgency.
• Your own illness, injury, pregnancy or disability, or that of an immediate family member.
• Domestic violence that gives you a reasonable belief that staying in the job would put your safety at risk.

The ADWS handbook also lists unsafe working conditions, and being unemployed because you or your child were victims of domestic violence, stalking or sexual assault, as reasons that may be good cause. ADWS decides each case on its facts.

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

Being fired for misconduct in Arkansas

Losing your job is not by itself a bar to benefits. The ADWS handbook lists being fired for misconduct as a reason you may not receive benefits.

ADWS decides whether your conduct counts as misconduct and how long any disqualification lasts, and it explains the reason in a written determination. If you disagree, you can appeal (see below).

Work search requirements

Since January 1, 2024, Arkansas law has required "at least five (5) work search contacts per week in which an individual submits a claim for benefits" (Act 587 of 2023). If you complete fewer than five, you are not eligible for benefits that week. Act 708 of 2025, effective January 1, 2026, added that you must report those five contacts as part of your weekly certification and have an account on the state job board.

The handbook counts these as qualifying activities:

• Applying for a suitable job.
• Interviewing for a job.
• Attending a job fair (no more than one job fair a week, and it counts as one activity).
• Attending job skill training at an Arkansas Workforce Center.
• Attending training with an approved in-demand training provider.

You must have an account on the state job board, Launch, and you report your activities with your weekly certification. The board matches you with open jobs where you meet at least 75% of the qualifications, and you are encouraged to apply to your top five matches. ADWS audits at least 100 weekly work search reports every week.

Union members and people returning to full-time work within three weeks can send documentation to ADWS.UI.Hotline@arkansas.gov instead.

Working part time while on unemployment

You can still receive a partial payment in a week when you work. Under Ark. Code 11-10-503, ADWS subtracts only the part of your earnings that is more than 40% of your weekly benefit amount, and the result is rounded down to the whole dollar.

For example, with a $300 weekly benefit, the first $120 you earn (40%) is not counted. If you earn $200 that week, $80 is above the allowance, so you would receive $220. Once your earnings reach your weekly benefit plus 40% of it ($420 in this example), no payment is due for that week.

Report your gross earnings (hours worked times your rate of pay) for the work week, Sunday through Saturday.

How to file for unemployment in Arkansas

File as soon as you are out of work or your hours are cut:

• Online: EZARC, the ADWS initial claims site.
• By phone: the UI Hotline at 1-844-908-2178.
• In person: at any Arkansas Workforce Center.

The handbook asks you to give correct information, respond promptly to ADWS requests, and keep your address and phone number current. Your Monetary Determination arrives by mail.

After you file, certify every week. You can certify online through Launch, available Sunday from 12:01 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Monday through Friday from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m., or by phone on Arkline at 1-501-907-2590. Work search activities can be recorded in Launch at any time.

Denied unemployment in Arkansas: how to appeal

The handbook says: "You have twenty (20) days from the mailing date of the decision letter, known as the Notice of Agency Determination, to submit your appeal to the Appeal Tribunal."

The appeal levels are:

1. Appeal Tribunal. File by mail (P.O. Box 8013, Little Rock, AR 72203), by email to ADWS.UI.Hotline@arkansas.gov, or at any Arkansas Workforce Center. The Tribunal's phone number is 501-682-1063.
2. Board of Review. Appeal within 20 days from the mailing of the Appeal Tribunal's decision (P.O. Box 8016, Little Rock; 501-683-4300).
3. Arkansas Court of Appeals. File a petition within 30 days of the Board's decision. You file it with the court yourself, not with ADWS.

ADWS says that if you are still unemployed during the appeal, "it is important that you continue to file your weekly claims on Launch or Arkline."

Overpayments and fraud

ADWS may offset your benefits to recover prior overpayments and unpaid child support.

Fraud carries heavier consequences. The handbook says you must "pay back all UI benefits that you should not have received plus penalty and interest," and you receive no benefits until the fraud disqualification period is satisfied. Receiving $1,000 or more through fraud brings a 10-year bar, and criminal charges are possible.

Is unemployment taxable in Arkansas?

Yes. The ADWS handbook says: "Your benefits are taxable by the federal government and state government."

You can elect 10% federal withholding, and ADWS sends Form 1099-G by the end of January. The handbook does not mention a state withholding option, so you may want to plan for the Arkansas tax yourself. Our unemployment benefits by state guide covers the federal rules.

Common myths about Arkansas unemployment

• "Arkansas pays 16 weeks, or 26 like other states." For claims filed since January 1, 2024, the maximum is 12 weeks, and never more than one-third of your base-period wages.
• "The maximum goes up every year." It has been frozen at $451 (minimum $81) since July 1, 2012.
• "Work search is two to five contacts depending on where you live." Since January 1, 2024, it is five per week for everyone, and a short week is not paid.
• "The waiting week is paid later." It is unpaid; payments start the following eligible week.

Disclaimer: This article provides general legal information about Arkansas unemployment insurance, not legal advice or a benefit determination. Only the Arkansas Division of Workforce Services decides whether you are eligible and how much you receive. Information verified October 6, 2026. If your claim is denied, consider consulting a lawyer licensed in Arkansas or a legal aid office.

Related

• Unemployment benefits by state
• Arkansas unemployment calculator
• Arkansas at-will employment laws
• Arkansas final paycheck laws

Last updated: October 7, 2026.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the maximum unemployment benefit in Arkansas?

$451 a week, with a minimum of $81. ADWS's Benefit and Earnings Table says both have been frozen since July 1, 2012, so they do not rise each year.

How is Arkansas unemployment calculated?

ADWS averages your wages over the four quarters of your base period and pays one twenty-sixth of that average, rounded down. Base-period wages of $40,000 average $10,000 a quarter, which works out to about $384 a week.

How many weeks of unemployment can you get in Arkansas?

Up to 12 weeks for claims filed on or after January 1, 2024, under Act 196 of 2023. Total benefits are also capped at one-third of your base-period wages, so some claimants get fewer weeks.

How much do I need to earn to get unemployment in Arkansas?

Wages in at least two base-period quarters, and total base-period wages of at least 35 times your weekly benefit. The $81 minimum benefit takes $2,835 under the ADWS table.

Does Arkansas have a waiting week?

Yes. The first eligible week of your claim is unpaid, though you must still meet the eligibility rules and certify for it. Payments begin the following eligible week.

How many job contacts do I need for Arkansas unemployment?

At least five qualifying work search activities every week you claim, required since January 1, 2024 (Act 587 of 2023). A week with fewer than five is not payable.

Can I get unemployment in Arkansas if I quit?

Only with good cause connected with the work or a reason the law recognizes, such as a compelling personal emergency, illness or disability, or domestic violence. Otherwise you must work 30 days in covered employment before you can collect.

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

Earnings up to 40% of your weekly benefit are not deducted; anything above that is subtracted from your payment. With a $300 weekly benefit, earning $420 or more in a week means no payment for that week.

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

20 days from the mailing date of the Notice of Agency Determination, to the Appeal Tribunal. Keep filing weekly claims on Launch or Arkline while the appeal is pending.

Is unemployment taxable in Arkansas?

Yes. The ADWS handbook says benefits are taxable by both the federal government and the state. You can elect 10% federal withholding.

What is the Arkansas unemployment phone number?

The ADWS UI Hotline is 1-844-908-2178. For weekly certifications by phone, call Arkline at 1-501-907-2590.