Minnesota Unemployment Benefits 2026: Amount, Eligibility, How to File

Minnesota's maximum weekly unemployment benefit is $948 for benefit accounts effective October 26, 2025 through October 24, 2026, according to the Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) applicant handbook. That maximum changes every year on the last Sunday in October, so accounts established on or after October 25, 2026 will use a new figure that DEED had not published when we last checked. Once your account is set up, your weekly amount does not change when the new maximum arrives (Minn. Stat. 268.07, subd. 2a).

Minnesota's statute sets no minimum weekly benefit. Your amount comes from your own wages, and benefits last up to 26 weeks, capped at the lower of 26 times your weekly amount or one third of your base-period wage credits. Minnesota adds nothing for dependents.

Claims are handled by Minnesota Unemployment Insurance, a DEED program. For how the federal-state system works nationally, including federal tax on benefits, 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 Minnesota under Minnesota Statutes chapter 268. It does not cover federal programs for federal civilian employees or veterans (UCFE/UCX), Disaster Unemployment Assistance, extended benefits, or claims filed in other states.

Who is eligible for unemployment in Minnesota

You may be eligible if you have enough wage credits in your base period, became unemployed or had your hours reduced, and are able to work, available for work and actively seeking suitable work. DEED decides each application.

Base period

Minnesota usually looks at the most recent four completed calendar quarters (Minn. Stat. 268.035, subd. 4). If your application is effective in the month right after a quarter ends (January, April, July or October), the base period is the first four of the most recent five completed quarters instead. The statute uses that first-four-of-five period whenever it gives you more wage credits.

If you had a compensated loss of work of 7 to 52 weeks because of a workers' compensation injury or your own serious illness, the statute lets you reach back to an earlier base period. Our guide to Minnesota workers' compensation laws covers the injury claim itself, which is separate from unemployment.

The earnings test

Under Minn. Stat. 268.07, subd. 2(a), "to establish a benefit account an applicant must have wage credits of at least 5.3 percent of the state's average annual wage rounded down to the next lower $100." The dollar figure follows the state average wage, so it can change from year to year. DEED's determination of your benefit account will tell you whether you meet it, and you can confirm the current threshold with DEED. If you had a benefit account before, a new one after that benefit year ends requires wages from actual work in covered employment after the prior account began, enough to meet the same test (Minn. Stat. 268.07, subd. 2(b)).

How much unemployment pays in Minnesota

Under Minn. Stat. 268.07, subd. 2a, your weekly benefit amount is "the higher of: (1) 50 percent of the applicant's average weekly wage during the base period, to a maximum of 66-2/3 percent of the state's average weekly wage; or (2) 50 percent of the applicant's average weekly wage during the high quarter, to a maximum of 43 percent of the state's average weekly wage."

In practice, the agency figures your average weekly wage two ways. One is your total base-period wage credits divided by 52. The other is your wages in your highest quarter divided by 13. Half of each is computed, the cap applies to each, and you get the higher result. The DEED handbook summarizes this as "about 50 percent of your average weekly wage up to a state maximum of $948."

Worked example. Say you earned $36,400 in your base period and $10,400 in your highest quarter. The base-period method gives $36,400 divided by 52, which is $700, and half of that is $350. The high-quarter method gives $10,400 divided by 13, which is $800, and half of that is $400. Assuming neither result exceeds its cap, your weekly benefit is the higher figure, $400. You can estimate your amount with our Minnesota unemployment calculator.

The statute sets no minimum weekly benefit; the lowest benefits are simply whatever the formula produces for someone who barely meets the earnings test. The formula also contains no dependent allowance.

When the maximum changes

The commissioner recomputes the state average weekly wage each year (Minn. Stat. 268.035, subd. 23), and the new maximum applies to accounts established effective on or after the last Sunday in October. In 2026 that date is October 25.

The statute adds that "once established, an applicant's weekly unemployment benefit amount is not affected by the last Sunday in October change." If your account took effect before October 25, 2026, the $948 cap stays with your account for that benefit year.

How long unemployment lasts in Minnesota

Under Minn. Stat. 268.07, subd. 2a(c), "the maximum amount of unemployment benefits available on any benefit account is the lower of: (1) 33-1/3 percent of the applicant's total wage credits; or (2) 26 times the applicant's weekly unemployment benefit amount." Minnesota's duration does not change with the state unemployment rate.

In the example above, 26 times $400 is $10,400, and one third of $36,400 is about $12,133. The lower figure, $10,400, is the account total, which is a full 26 weeks. Someone whose weekly amount came from a strong high quarter but who had lower total wages could hit the one-third limit first and get fewer weeks.

A benefit account generally lasts 52 weeks, or 53 weeks if it is effective January 1, April 1, July 1 or October 1 (Minn. Stat. 268.035, subd. 6).

The nonpayable (waiting) week

Minnesota calls its waiting week a nonpayable week. The statute requires that "the applicant has served a nonpayable period of one week that the applicant is otherwise eligible for some amount of unemployment benefits" (Minn. Stat. 268.085, subd. 1(6)).

The handbook says the first week you are eligible is your nonpayable week and that you will have only one nonpayable week in the 52 weeks after you apply. It is not paid later. The soonest you can expect a payment is the third week after your account is established.

Quitting and being fired

Quitting

Under Minn. Stat. 268.095, a quit disqualifies you unless one of the statute's exceptions applies. The main one is a "good reason caused by the employer": a reason directly related to the job that the employer is responsible for, that is adverse to you, and that would compel an average, reasonable worker to quit. You generally must complain to the employer and give it a reasonable chance to fix the problem first. The statute treats that definition as exclusive.

The other exceptions in subdivision 1 include quitting:

• To accept other covered employment with equal or better terms, where the new job did not provide enough work to satisfy the disqualification.
• Within 30 calendar days of starting a job that was unsuitable for you.
• An unsuitable job to enter reemployment assistance training.
• A part-time job, when losing your base-period full-time job was not disqualifying and your wage credits are enough.
• After the employer told you a layoff was coming within 30 days. In that case you are ineligible only through the end of the week of the layoff date.
• Because a serious illness or injury made quitting medically necessary, or to care for an immediate family member, after telling the employer and requesting an accommodation.
• Because you lost child care despite reasonable efforts and asked the employer for an accommodation.
• Because "domestic abuse, sexual assault, or harassment or stalking of the applicant or an immediate family member of the applicant, necessitated the applicant's quitting the employment."
• To relocate with a spouse in the military, or a spouse whose job was transferred, where commuting became impractical.

Sexual harassment that the employer knew or should have known about and failed to address can be a good reason caused by the employer. For background on how Minnesota employment can end, see Minnesota at-will employment laws.

Being fired for misconduct

The statute defines employment misconduct as "any intentional, negligent, or indifferent conduct, on the job or off the job, that is a serious violation of the standards of behavior the employer has the right to reasonably expect of the employee" (Minn. Stat. 268.095, subd. 6).

The statute lists conduct that is not misconduct, including:

• Inefficiency or inadvertence, or simple unsatisfactory conduct.
• Conduct an average reasonable employee would have engaged in under the circumstances.
• Inability or incapacity, and good-faith errors in judgment.
• Conduct that results from mental illness or impairment.
• Absence because of illness or injury with proper notice to the employer, and absence necessary to care for an immediate family member with proper notice.

The list continues in the statute. Aggravated misconduct is conduct that would amount to a gross misdemeanor or felony and has a significant adverse effect on the job (no conviction is required), along with certain abuse, financial exploitation or serious neglect by employees of care facilities. Aggravated misconduct also cancels the wage credits you earned from that employer.

How long the disqualification lasts

For a disqualifying quit or misconduct discharge, you are disqualified until the end of the calendar week in which you have earned wages for actual work in later covered employment equal to at least half of the wage-credit requirement in 268.07, subd. 2(a) (Minn. Stat. 268.095, subd. 10). Your employer's obligations on your last paycheck are covered in Minnesota final paycheck laws.

Work search and availability

The handbook says: "You must make a serious effort to find work every week you request a benefit payment." The statute defines actively seeking suitable employment as "those reasonable, diligent efforts an individual in similar circumstances would make if genuinely interested in obtaining suitable employment under the existing conditions in the labor market area" (Minn. Stat. 268.085, subd. 16).

DEED lists activities that satisfy the weekly job search requirement, including filling out applications at an employer's place of business, sending resumes in response to job ads or leads, calling employers to arrange interviews, attending job-seeking workshops and networking in your field. If your benefits are based on part-time work, you can limit your search to part-time work. When reasonable, you must also contact an employer that laid you off for lack of work and ask for suitable work (Minn. Stat. 268.085, subd. 16).

DEED can also direct you to reemployment assistance services, such as a work search plan, under subdivision 1(7). Follow any specific instructions you receive.

You must be available for suitable work as well. Each day you are unavailable reduces your weekly benefit by one fifth.

Working part-time while on unemployment

Under Minn. Stat. 268.085, subd. 5, if your earnings for the week are less than your weekly benefit amount, "50 percent of the earnings are deducted from the weekly unemployment benefit amount." Earnings from any source count, including self-employment.

The handbook adds: "You are not eligible for benefits in any week you work 32 or more hours or when your gross earnings for the week are equal to or greater than your weekly benefit amount."

For example, with a $400 weekly benefit and $200 in part-time earnings, $100 is deducted and you are paid $300. Some pay is not deducted, including National Guard and military reserve pay, volunteer firefighter or ambulance service pay, jury duty pay and pay for serving as an election judge.

How to apply and request payments

You apply with Minnesota Unemployment Insurance online at ui.mn.gov by selecting Applicants and then Apply for Benefits. Online applications are available Sunday through Friday, 6:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. By phone, call 651-296-3644 in the Twin Cities or 1-877-898-9090 in Greater Minnesota, Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. TTY users can call 1-866-814-1252.

Apply the week you become unemployed or your hours are significantly reduced. An application is effective on the Sunday of the week you file. Under Minn. Stat. 268.07, subd. 3b, it can be backdated one calendar week only if you ask within 7 calendar days of filing and you were unemployed during that week.

After you apply, you request a payment for each week you are unemployed, online or through the automated phone line. The handbook says: "Request a payment even if we are deciding your eligibility or you are waiting for an appeal hearing or decision."

Denials and appeals

You have 45 calendar days to appeal. Under Minn. Stat. 268.101, a determination of eligibility or ineligibility "is final unless an appeal is filed by the applicant or employer within 45 calendar days after sending." The same 45-day window applies to determinations of your benefit account (268.07, subd. 3a) and to overpayment penalty determinations.

Minnesota's appeal path under Minn. Stat. 268.105:

1. Hearing before an unemployment law judge. The judge holds a de novo hearing, meaning the issues are heard fresh rather than reviewed for error. You must take part personally: if you appealed and do not participate, the judge can dismiss your appeal, and a written statement or a representative alone does not count.
2. Request for reconsideration. You ask the unemployment law judge to reconsider within 45 calendar days of the decision. There is no separate appeals board.
3. Minnesota Court of Appeals. You petition for a writ of certiorari within 45 calendar days of the decision on reconsideration, with 3 days added if that decision was mailed. "No filing fee or cost bond is required of an applicant." Further review is possible in the Minnesota Supreme Court.

Keep requesting weekly payments throughout. Under the statute, benefits allowed by an unemployment law judge's decision are paid regardless of any further review.

Overpayments and misrepresentation

Under Minn. Stat. 268.18, overpaid benefits must be promptly repaid, and the commissioner may not compromise the amount owed. The handbook says future benefits can be reduced by 50 or 100 percent of each weekly payment to repay an overpayment.

Overpayments caused by misrepresentation carry more. The commissioner must assess "a penalty equal to 40 percent of the amount overpaid," and interest of 1 percent per month starts 30 days after the determination. You are ineligible for benefits while a misrepresentation overpayment balance is outstanding, and such a determination can be made within 48 months of when the benefit account was established.

Does Minnesota tax unemployment benefits?

Yes. DEED's handbook says: "Unemployment benefits are taxable income under federal and Minnesota state law." You can choose to have taxes withheld, and DEED issues Form 1099-G by January 31.

Federal tax on benefits works the same in every state and is covered in our unemployment benefits by state guide.

Common myths

• "Minnesota waived the waiting week." DEED's handbook for October 2025 through October 2026 still requires one nonpayable week.
• "Everyone gets 26 weeks." Benefits are limited to the lower of 26 times your weekly amount or one third of your wage credits.
• "The $948 maximum is permanent." It resets each year on the last Sunday in October, next on October 25, 2026, for new accounts.

Disclaimer: This article provides general legal information about Minnesota unemployment insurance, not legal advice or a benefit determination. Only Minnesota Unemployment Insurance (DEED) decides whether you are eligible and how much you receive. Information verified on October 6, 2026. If your application has been denied, consider consulting a lawyer licensed in Minnesota or a legal aid office.

Related

• Unemployment benefits by state
• Minnesota unemployment calculator
• Minnesota at-will employment laws
• Minnesota final paycheck laws
• Minnesota workers' compensation laws

Last updated: October 7, 2026.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the maximum unemployment benefit in Minnesota?

$948 a week for benefit accounts effective October 26, 2025 through October 24, 2026, per the DEED applicant handbook. A new maximum applies to accounts effective on or after October 25, 2026; accounts already open keep their amount.

How is Minnesota unemployment calculated?

Under Minn. Stat. 268.07, subd. 2a, you get the higher of 50% of your base-period average weekly wage (wage credits divided by 52) or 50% of your high-quarter average weekly wage (high quarter divided by 13), each subject to a cap tied to the state average weekly wage.

What is the minimum unemployment benefit in Minnesota?

Minnesota's statute does not set a minimum weekly benefit. Your amount comes from the formula applied to your own wages, once you meet the earnings test of 5.3% of the state's average annual wage.

How many weeks of unemployment can you get in Minnesota?

Up to 26 weeks. Your account total is the lower of 26 times your weekly benefit or one third of your total base-period wage credits, so some people receive fewer weeks.

Does Minnesota have a waiting week for unemployment?

Yes. The first week you are eligible is a nonpayable week under Minn. Stat. 268.085, and you have only one in the 52 weeks after you apply. It is not paid back later.

Can I get unemployment in Minnesota if I quit?

Only if an exception in Minn. Stat. 268.095 applies, such as a good reason caused by the employer, a medically necessary quit, loss of child care, or domestic abuse, sexual assault, harassment or stalking.

How much can I work and still get unemployment in Minnesota?

Half of your weekly earnings are deducted from your benefit. You are not eligible for a week in which you work 32 or more hours or earn as much as or more than your weekly benefit amount.

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

45 calendar days after the determination is sent, under Minn. Stat. 268.101. An unemployment law judge then holds a hearing, and you can request reconsideration within 45 calendar days of that decision.

Does Minnesota tax unemployment benefits?

Yes. DEED says benefits are taxable income under federal and Minnesota law, and it issues Form 1099-G by January 31. You can choose voluntary withholding.

Can I backdate a Minnesota unemployment application?

Your application is effective on the Sunday of the week you file. Under Minn. Stat. 268.07, subd. 3b, it can be backdated one calendar week only if you ask within 7 calendar days and were unemployed that week.