Hawaii Unemployment Benefits 2026: $868 Max, Eligibility, Filing

Hawaii pays unemployment benefits of $5 to $868 a week for benefit years beginning in 2026, according to the Hawaii Department of Labor and Industrial Relations (DLIR). The $868 maximum is up from $835 in 2025, and the DLIR resets it every calendar year at 70% of the state average weekly wage (HRS 383-22).

Every eligible claimant can collect up to 26 times the weekly benefit amount in a benefit year (HRS 383-24). The DLIR Unemployment Insurance Division runs the program, and claims are filed and certified online at huiclaims.hawaii.gov.

The maximum for 2027 will be set on or before November 30, 2026 and applies to benefit years beginning in 2027. For how the federal-state system works across the country, 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 Hawaii under Chapter 383 of the Hawaii Revised Statutes (HRS). 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 Hawaii

Hawaii looks at the wages you were paid during a base period. The standard base period is the first four of the last five completed calendar quarters before your claim starts. The DLIR handbook puts it this way: "we look at your wages from the first four of the last five full calendar quarters."

If you do not qualify on that period, the DLIR must use an alternative base period: the four completed calendar quarters immediately before your benefit year starts (HRS 383-1). That helps people whose most recent wages would otherwise be left out.

The wage test has two parts under HRS 383-29(a)(5). Your base-period wages must equal at least 26 times your weekly benefit amount, and you must have been paid wages in at least two quarters of the base period. Wages counted for one benefit year cannot be counted again for another.

If you had a prior benefit year, you also need to have worked in covered employment since it began and earned at least five times your new weekly benefit amount. Beyond the wage test, you must be able to work, available for work, registered for work, and searching for work each week you claim.

How much unemployment pays in Hawaii

HRS 383-22(b) sets your weekly benefit amount at "one twenty-first of the individual's total wages for insured work paid during the calendar quarter of the individual's base period in which such total wages were highest." A result that is not a whole dollar is rounded up to the next dollar, and anything below $5 becomes $5.

Worked example. Say your highest quarter in the base period paid $13,000. Dividing by 21 gives $619.05, which rounds up to $620 a week. To qualify at that amount, your base-period wages must total at least $16,120 (26 times $620), paid in at least two quarters. Your maximum for the benefit year would also be $16,120.

Because the result is rounded up, any high quarter above $18,207 (21 times $867) reaches the 2026 cap of $868. Hawaii adds nothing for dependents. To estimate your own amount, use our Hawaii unemployment calculator.

The cap is not fixed in the statute. Each year, on or before November 30, the department computes 70% of the state average weekly wage, and that figure becomes the maximum for claims with benefit years beginning the next calendar year. The DLIR handbook notes that the maximum "is set by law and changes each year."

How long unemployment lasts in Hawaii

HRS 383-24 says "the maximum potential benefits of an eligible individual in a benefit year shall be twenty-six times the eligible individual's weekly benefit amount." In practice that means up to 26 full weeks of benefits.

Hawaii does not tie the number of weeks to the state's unemployment rate, and it does not shorten benefits for people with uneven earnings. Because you need base-period wages of at least 26 times your weekly amount to qualify, your total benefits cannot be more than your base-period wages.

The waiting week

Hawaii has one unpaid waiting week, usually the first week of the benefit year (HRS 383-29(a)(4)). The DLIR handbook says: "You must file a weekly claim and meet all eligibility requirements for the waiting week, but you will not be paid for it."

Payments start with the following week. In the handbook's example, a claimant who files the same day the job ends has that first week count as the waiting week, so filing promptly avoids losing time.

Quitting a job

HRS 383-30(1) disqualifies you for any week in which you "left the individual's work voluntarily without good cause." The disqualification lasts until, after you leave, you have been paid wages in covered employment of at least five times your weekly benefit amount. It is not a set number of weeks.

The DLIR handbook gives examples of quits that can still lead to benefits: you "quit your job and can show good reason as allowed by law (for example, unsafe working conditions or needing to stay with your family)." The handbook also lists people who are unemployed "because you or your child were a victim of domestic violence, stalking, or sexual assault."

A separate section, HRS 383-30.5, lists good-cause conditions for a claimant who qualified on full-time work and then leaves a later part-time job. Item (12) covers an employee who was a victim of domestic or sexual violence where other alternatives, such as a leave of absence, a transfer, or a schedule change, "would not be sufficient to guarantee the safety of the employee." Evidence can include a restraining order, documentation from victim services, or a professional's statement. Whether you had good cause in your own situation is a decision the DLIR makes on your facts.

For the rules on when an employer can end a job in the first place, see Hawaii at-will employment laws for more.

Being fired for misconduct

A discharge "for misconduct connected with work" disqualifies you until you have been paid wages in covered employment of at least five times your weekly benefit amount (HRS 383-30(2)). The statute itself does not define misconduct, and the DLIR decides each case on its facts.

If you were suspended for misconduct rather than fired, HRS 383-30 disqualifies you for the week of the suspension plus 1 to 4 more consecutive weeks, depending on how serious the misconduct was.

Separately from benefits, your employer has final-pay obligations when your job ends; see Hawaii final paycheck laws.

Work search requirements

The DLIR handbook says: "Make at least 3 work search contacts per week." Qualifying activities include applying for a suitable job, interviewing, reporting to a union hiring hall as a registered member, and taking part in reemployment services at a workforce center. Looking at job listings without applying does not count.

Keep a record of every contact that someone could verify, and track your activity in the claimant portal. You must also be able to work, available for work, and registered for work.

There are exceptions. If you are partially unemployed, meaning you are still attached to your regular employer but it does not have enough work for you, registration is waived and your work search can be exempt or modified once the employer confirms your status (HRS 383-29.8). People working part-time or on call while looking for full-time work must still make 3 contacts a week.

Working part-time while claiming

You can earn some wages and still collect a partial benefit. Under HRS 383-23, 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 which is in excess of $150," rounded up to the next dollar.

Using the $620 weekly amount from the example above: if you earn $300 in a week, the part above $150 is $150, so you would receive $470. At that weekly amount, wages of about $770 or more in a week would reduce the benefit to zero.

How to apply for unemployment in Hawaii

File your initial claim online at huiclaims.hawaii.gov as soon as you lose work or have your hours cut. The DLIR also has local claims offices in Honolulu, Hilo, Kona, Maui and Kauai for in-person help.

The UI Call Center numbers are (808) 762-5752 and (833) 901-2272 (toll-free). TTY users can dial 711 and ask for (808) 586-8842.

Before you file, be ready to:

• Verify your identity through Login.gov, or in person at most post offices.
• Set up multi-factor authentication to log in to the claims system.
• Choose payment by direct deposit or a prepaid debit card.

After you file, you claim benefits by filing weekly or biweekly certifications. Each week within a biweekly claim must be filed separately. The DLIR says "weekly claims are due within 7 days after the last day of the week (Saturday)." If you skip 2 or more weeks in a row, you must reopen your claim.

Denials and appeals

If the DLIR denies benefits, you can appeal. The deadline is short. The handbook says: "You must submit your request in writing within 10 calendar days of the mail date on the decision notice."

Under HRS 383-38, the 10 days run from the date the notice was mailed to your last known address, or from the date it was delivered if it was not mailed. The department may extend the period to 30 days for good cause, but do not count on an extension.

Appeals go to the Employment Security Appeals Referees' Office (ESARO), where an impartial referee hears the case. You can file:

• Online at huiclaims.hawaii.gov.
• At a local claims office.
• By mail to ESARO, 830 Punchbowl St., Room 429, Honolulu, HI 96813-5080.

The referee's decision is final within the agency. To challenge it, you must seek judicial review in the circuit court for the circuit where you live or were last employed, following the procedure in HRS chapter 91 (HRS 383-41). Under HRS 91-14(b), court review generally must be started within 30 days after service of a certified copy of the final decision, so act quickly if you plan to go to court.

While the appeal is pending, keep filing. The handbook tells claimants to "keep looking for work, submit your claim certifications, and report any money you earned for each week you are claiming for benefits." You can be paid only for weeks you claimed and were eligible for.

Overpayments and fraud

If you are paid benefits you were not entitled to, you must repay them unless you received them without fault and recovery would be against equity and good conscience (HRS 383-44). The DLIR can take an overpayment out of future benefits within two years of the redetermination notice, take it from your federal income tax refund, or collect it through a civil action.

Fraud is treated more harshly. When an overpayment comes with a fraud disqualification under HRS 383-30(5) for a false statement or a failure to disclose, HRS 383-44(b) adds "a penalty assessment amount equal to fifteen per cent of the overpaid amount." The statute and the DLIR describe the loss of future benefits in different terms:

• The statute: HRS 383-30(5) disqualifies a person who made a false statement or failed to disclose a material fact to get benefits, beginning with the week the determination is made and continuing for each week in the current and following 24 calendar months.
• The DLIR handbook: it warns of "losing the right to get benefits for up to 109 weeks (over 2 years)."

Ask the DLIR how the disqualification applies to your claim. Fraud can also be a crime under HRS 383-141: a misdemeanor when the benefit is $300 or less and a class C felony when it is more than $300. The statute bars a fine or jail where a disqualification under HRS 383-30(5) has already been determined.

Does Hawaii tax unemployment benefits?

Yes. The DLIR handbook says: "Your UI benefits are taxable by the federal and state governments." You can choose to have 10% taken out of each payment for federal taxes and 5% for state taxes.

Federal tax on unemployment works the same in every state; our unemployment benefits by state guide covers it.

Recent and upcoming changes

• 2026 maximum. The maximum weekly benefit rose from $835 for 2025 to $868 for benefit years beginning in 2026.
• 2027 maximum. The DLIR must compute the 2027 maximum on or before November 30, 2026. It had not been published when this page was verified; check the DLIR's weekly benefit amount table for the current figure.
• Electronic notices from April 1, 2027. Act 214 of 2025 rewrites HRS 383-38 effective April 1, 2027. If a determination notice is not mailed, the 10-day appeal window will run from the date of electronic notification, and the appeals office will send hearing notices and decisions electronically unless you elect mail.

Common myths

• "Hawaii pays 50% of your wage." The weekly amount is one twenty-first of your highest quarter, which is about 62% of your average weekly pay in that quarter, capped at $868 for 2026.
• "You have 30 days to appeal." The deadline is 10 calendar days from the mail date. 30 days is available only as a good-cause extension.
• "The first week gets paid later." The waiting week is unpaid, though you must still file for it.
• "Hawaii does not tax unemployment." The DLIR says benefits are taxable by the state.
• "One or two job contacts a week is enough." Hawaii requires at least 3, unless you are partially unemployed and exempt.

Disclaimer: This article provides general legal information about Hawaii unemployment insurance, not legal advice or a benefit determination. Only the Hawaii Department of Labor and Industrial Relations 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 Hawaii or a legal aid office.

Related

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

Last updated: October 7, 2026.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the maximum unemployment benefit in Hawaii in 2026?

$868 a week for benefit years beginning in 2026, according to the DLIR. The maximum is reset every calendar year at 70% of the state average weekly wage under HRS 383-22(b); it was $835 in 2025.

How is Hawaii unemployment calculated?

The DLIR divides your wages in the highest-paid quarter of your base period by 21 and rounds up to the next dollar, with a $5 minimum and an $868 maximum for 2026. A $13,000 high quarter works out to $620 a week.

How many weeks of unemployment can I get in Hawaii?

Up to 26 weeks. HRS 383-24 caps total benefits in a benefit year at 26 times your weekly benefit amount, and the cap does not change with the unemployment rate.

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

Your base-period wages must equal at least 26 times your weekly benefit amount, and you must have been paid wages in at least two quarters of the base period (HRS 383-29(a)(5)).

Does Hawaii have a waiting week?

Yes. The first week of the benefit year is usually an unpaid waiting week, and you must file a weekly claim and meet every eligibility rule for it, according to the 2026 claimant handbook.

Can I get unemployment in Hawaii if I quit?

Only if you can show good cause. Without it, HRS 383-30(1) disqualifies you until you earn at least five times your weekly benefit amount in covered work after you leave. The DLIR gives unsafe working conditions and needing to stay with your family as examples of good reasons.

How many job contacts do I need for Hawaii unemployment?

At least 3 work search contacts per week, such as applying for a suitable job or interviewing. Claimants who are partially unemployed and still attached to their regular employer can have the requirement waived or modified.

Can I work part time and collect unemployment in Hawaii?

Yes. Under HRS 383-23, your benefit is reduced only by the part of your weekly wages above $150. With a $620 weekly amount and $300 in wages, you would receive $470.

How long do I have to appeal a Hawaii unemployment decision?

10 calendar days from the mail date on the decision notice (HRS 383-38). The Employment Security Appeals Referees' Office can extend it to 30 days for good cause, so file as soon as you can and keep certifying.

Is unemployment taxed in Hawaii?

Yes. The DLIR handbook says benefits are taxable by the federal and state governments, and you can choose 10% federal and 5% state withholding from each payment.

What is the Hawaii unemployment phone number?

The DLIR UI Call Center is (808) 762-5752 or toll-free (833) 901-2272. TTY users can dial 711 and ask for (808) 586-8842. Claims are filed online at huiclaims.hawaii.gov.