Idaho Unemployment Benefits 2026: $624 Max, Weeks, How to File

Idaho pays a maximum unemployment benefit of $624 a week for new claims filed from the first full week of January 2026 until the first full week of January 2027, under Idaho Department of Labor Administrative Order No. 683. By statute, the maximum equals 55% of the state average weekly wage (Idaho Code 72-1367(2)); the 2026 figure was computed from 2024 covered wages.

How long benefits last is less simple. The Idaho Department of Labor says you "may be eligible to collect between 10 and 26 weeks." The number comes from a table in the statute keyed to how evenly your wages were spread and to the state unemployment rate, so 26 weeks is the top of the scale, not a standard entitlement.

Claims are filed through the department's online Claimant Portal, not by phone; a local Labor office can help if you lack internet access. 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 Idaho under the Employment Security Law, Chapter 13 of Title 72 of the Idaho Code. 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 Idaho

Idaho measures eligibility by your wages during a base period. The regular base period is the first four of the last five completed calendar quarters. If you do not qualify on that period, the department can use an alternative base period of the last four completed calendar quarters.

The Idaho Department of Labor's monetary eligibility page sets out the wage test. It says: "You have been paid at least $1,872 in wages in one of those quarters. Your total wages in your base period equals 1.25 times your highest quarter wages." Idaho Code 72-1367(1) ties the minimum quarterly figure to the state minimum wage and resets it each January 1.

Because your total must be at least 1.25 times your best quarter, you need wages outside that quarter too. The department's page describes this as being paid wages in at least two quarters of the base period.

You also have to meet the weekly conditions in Idaho Code 72-1366, including being able to work, available for work, and actively looking for work.

How much unemployment pays in Idaho

Idaho Code 72-1367(2) says "the weekly benefit amount shall be one twenty-sixth (1/26) of highest quarter wages except that it shall not exceed the applicable maximum weekly benefit amount." Benefits are rounded down to the next lower dollar. Idaho adds nothing for dependents.

Worked example. Say your highest base-period quarter paid $10,400. Dividing by 26 gives a weekly benefit of $400. To qualify, your total base-period wages must be at least $13,000 (1.25 times $10,400).

A high quarter of $16,224 (26 times $624) or more reaches the current maximum. To estimate your own amount, use our Idaho unemployment calculator.

The maximum changes each year by administrative order. Order No. 683, dated November 6, 2025, computed 55% of the state average weekly wage as $624.43 and set the maximum at $624.00. Which maximum applies depends on when your new claim is filed.

How long unemployment lasts in Idaho

Idaho Code 72-1367(3) sets your weeks of benefits with a table. The rows are the ratio of your total base-period wages to your highest-quarter wages; the columns are the state unemployment rate. Benefits run "to a maximum of twenty-six (26) weeks depending on the unemployment rate in effect for the months of February, May, August and November."

The more evenly you earned across the base period, the higher your ratio and the more weeks you get. The top row of the table covers ratios from 3.5601 to 4.00, and even that row changes with the unemployment rate:

Lower ratios get fewer weeks, down to the 10-week floor. The rate used depends on when each benefit week falls: weeks starting in October through December use the August rate, January through March the November rate, April through June the February rate, and July through September the May rate.

For benefit weeks starting October through December 2026, the August rate controls. The Idaho Department of Labor reported that Idaho's seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for August 2026 was 3.6% (the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics shows the same preliminary figure), which falls in the 3% to 3.9% column, where the top of the table is 21 weeks. The statute refers to the official forecasted rate, so rely on your Monetary Determination, which shows the total benefit amount your claim carries. Your total benefits are your weekly amount times the weeks the table gives you, within a 52-week benefit year.

The waiting week

The department says: "A waiting week is an unpaid benefit week every claimant must serve each benefit year." It is the first week you are eligible for credit and file your weekly certification.

If you earn more than 1.5 times your weekly benefit amount that week, it does not count as your waiting week. You still need to file your certification for it.

Quitting a job

To get benefits after quitting, you generally need good cause connected with your employment. Idaho Code 72-1366 says "the standard of what constitutes good cause is the standard of reasonableness as applied to the average adult," and the reasons must be real, substantial and compelling.

The statute lists situations where the reason does not have to be connected to the job:

• Domestic violence. Quitting to protect yourself or your minor child from domestic violence, including second-degree stalking.
• Military spouse relocation. Leaving to follow a service member spouse who is relocating on permanent change of station orders, after reasonable efforts to keep the job.
• A better job. Leaving a temporary job for a permanent one, or a part-time job for more hours.

A health condition that makes it impossible to do the job is also treated as good cause, and so is unlawful harassment under chapter 59, title 67 of the Idaho Code.

If the department finds you quit without good cause, you are ineligible until you work in bona fide employment and earn wages of at least 14 times your weekly benefit amount (Idaho Code 72-1366(14)). For the rules on when an employer can end a job, see Idaho at-will employment laws.

Being fired for misconduct

A discharge for workplace misconduct disqualifies you, and the employer has to prove it. The department's appeals page explains: "IDAPA 09.01.30.275 defines MISCONDUCT as a willful disregard of the employer's interests; a deliberate violation of its rules; or a failure to meet its reasonable expectations."

As with a quit, you can reestablish eligibility by earning wages of at least 14 times your weekly benefit amount in new work (Idaho Code 72-1366(14)). Whatever the reason for the separation, your employer still owes your final wages; see Idaho final paycheck laws.

Work search requirements

Idaho Code 72-1366(4) requires you to be "actively seeking work by conducting no fewer than five (5) work search actions per week." The statute lists the kinds of actions that count. You report them on each weekly certification, and the department verifies them with employers.

If you are attached to an employer or union and expect to return within 16 weeks, the certification instead asks whether you kept the required contact with that employer or union (Idaho Code 72-1366(4)(e)). There are also limited exceptions. The statute excuses an illness or disability of up to four weeks that starts after you file, or compelling personal circumstances that take up no more than a minor part of the workweek, as long as you do not refuse suitable work paying more than half your weekly benefit amount.

Working part-time while claiming

You can earn some wages and still collect. The department says: "You can earn up to half of your weekly benefit amount in a week without reducing your UI benefits. Once you earn more than half, your benefits will be reduced by a dollar for every dollar over half your weekly benefit amount."

If you earn 1.5 times your weekly benefit amount or more, or work full time, no benefit is paid that week. Severance pay counts as wages.

Using the $400 weekly amount from the example above: earnings up to $200 do not reduce your benefit. If you earn $300, the $100 above half is deducted and you would receive $300. At $600 or more in a week, no benefit is paid.

How to apply for unemployment in Idaho

Apply online at the Idaho Department of Labor Claimant Portal. The department says: "We don't accept claims over the telephone." Before using the portal, you must verify your identity through ID.me. The department's number is 208-332-8942.

Timing matters. The department tells claimants to "apply on the Claimant Portal during the week you are seeking payment. Don't wait until the week is over." That means filing before midnight Saturday of the week you want to claim.

After you apply, you file a weekly certification for each benefit week, which runs Sunday through Saturday:

• You can start filing a week's certification on the Sunday after it ends, and you have seven full days to file.
• You can skip one week. Skipping two weeks makes your claim inactive.
• The department does not backdate claims.

Denials and appeals

If you disagree with a determination, you can appeal. Idaho Code 72-1368 says a determination "shall become final unless, within fourteen (14) days after notice... an appeal is filed by an interested party with the department." The appeal must be in writing and signed. A notice sent by mail counts as served on the date of mailing (Idaho Code 72-1368(5)), so count the 14 days from the mailing date on the determination, not the day it arrives. If a postal or department error delayed delivery, the 14 days run from when you actually got notice.

A protest of a monetary determination is also due within 14 days of the mailing date, according to the department. While a monetary redetermination is pending, the department says to keep filing your weekly certifications.

Appeals go through these levels:

1. Appeals examiner. A hearing officer in the department's Appeals Bureau hears the case. The decision becomes final 14 days after it is mailed unless appealed.
2. Idaho Industrial Commission. You can file a written appeal within 14 days. The department says: "The department and the Appeals Bureau cannot accept these appeals," so file directly with the Commission.
3. Idaho Supreme Court. A Commission decision can be appealed to the Idaho Supreme Court.

If a decision allows benefits, Idaho Code 72-1368(10) says they are paid promptly even if another party appeals.

Overpayments and fraud

If you receive benefits you were not entitled to, you must repay them (Idaho Code 72-1369). The department can collect by deducting a non-fraud overpayment from future benefits, filing a lien, or bringing a civil action, and interest applies. While you owe a fraud overpayment, penalty or interest, you cannot get benefits or waiting-week credit (Idaho Code 72-1366(12)).

The director may waive repayment only if the overpayment was caused solely by department error or by an employer's misreported wages, and you could not reasonably have recognized the mistake. Waiver is not available when the overpayment came from a false statement or misrepresentation.

When an overpayment results from a false statement, misrepresentation or failure to report, Idaho Code 72-1369(2) adds a civil penalty:

• 25% of the overpayment for the first determination.
• 50% for the second.
• 100% for the third and any later determination.

Willful false statements also bring a separate benefit disqualification under Idaho Code 72-1366: 52 weeks for the first violation, 104 weeks for the second, and 52 weeks times the number of violations for a third or later one. Under Idaho Code 72-1371, obtaining $1,000 or less by fraud is a misdemeanor, and more than $1,000 is a felony.

Does Idaho tax unemployment benefits?

Yes. The Idaho State Tax Commission's individual income tax instructions include a line for unemployment compensation: "enter any unemployment compensation received while an Idaho resident or part-year resident."

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

Recent and upcoming changes

• 2026 maximum. Administrative Order No. 683 set the $624 maximum for new claims from the first full week of January 2026, replacing the prior order.
• 2027 maximum. The director sets a new maximum each year for claims filed from the first full week of January. The order for 2027 had not been checked when this page was verified; confirm the current figure with the Idaho Department of Labor.
• Duration tier. The weeks available change each quarter with the unemployment rate the statute uses, so the weeks available can differ depending on timing.

Common myths

• "Idaho pays 26 weeks." Idaho pays 10 to 26 weeks. Under the statute's table, 26 weeks requires both the top wage ratio and a state unemployment rate of 8% or higher.
• "I can file by phone." Idaho does not accept claims over the telephone. You apply on the Claimant Portal, and a local Labor office can help if you lack internet access.

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

Related

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

Last updated: October 7, 2026.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the maximum unemployment benefit in Idaho in 2026?

$624 a week for new claims filed from the first full week of January 2026 until the first full week of January 2027, under Idaho Department of Labor Administrative Order No. 683. By statute the maximum is 55% of the state average weekly wage; the 2026 figure was computed from 2024 covered wages.

How is Idaho unemployment calculated?

Idaho Code 72-1367 sets the weekly benefit at one twenty-sixth of your highest base-period quarter, capped at $624 for claims filed in 2026. A $10,400 high quarter works out to $400 a week.

How many weeks of unemployment can you get in Idaho?

Between 10 and 26 weeks, according to the Idaho Department of Labor. Idaho Code 72-1367(3) sets the number from a table using your total base-period wages compared with your highest quarter, and the state unemployment rate.

Why am I not getting 26 weeks of unemployment in Idaho?

Under the 72-1367(3) table, even claimants with the most evenly spread wages get 26 weeks only when the state unemployment rate is 8% or higher. At a rate of 3% to 3.9%, the top of the table is 21 weeks.

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

The Idaho Department of Labor says you need at least $1,872 in wages in one base-period quarter, and total base-period wages equal to at least 1.25 times your highest quarter.

Does Idaho have a waiting week for unemployment?

Yes. The department says a waiting week is an unpaid benefit week every claimant must serve each benefit year. It is the first week you are eligible and file a weekly certification.

Can I get unemployment in Idaho if I quit?

Only if you quit with good cause connected to the job, judged by what a reasonable average adult would do (Idaho Code 72-1366). Domestic violence, a military spouse's relocation on orders, and leaving a temporary job for a permanent one are among the listed exceptions.

How many job contacts do I need for Idaho unemployment?

At least five work search actions per week under Idaho Code 72-1366(4), reported on your weekly certification. The department may check them with employers.

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

Earnings up to half your weekly benefit amount do not reduce your benefit; above that, each dollar reduces it by a dollar. At 1.5 times your weekly amount or more, no benefit is paid for that week.

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

14 days after notice of the determination, which for a mailed notice means 14 days from the mailing date, filed in writing with the Idaho Department of Labor (Idaho Code 72-1368). If you lose before the appeals examiner, you have 14 days to appeal to the Idaho Industrial Commission.

Does Idaho tax unemployment benefits?

Yes. The Idaho State Tax Commission's individual income tax instructions have a line for unemployment compensation received while an Idaho resident or part-year resident.

Can I file for Idaho unemployment by phone?

No. The department says it does not accept claims over the telephone. You apply online at the Claimant Portal after verifying your identity through ID.me.