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

Missouri's weekly unemployment benefit runs from $35 to $320, according to the Division of Employment Security (DES). The $320 maximum is a flat cap in RSMo 288.038 that has applied to every initial claim filed since 2008. It is not indexed, so it does not rise each year; only new legislation changes it.

The Division says benefits last up to 20 weeks in a benefit year, and your total can never exceed one-third of your base-period wages. DES, part of the Missouri Department of Labor and Industrial Relations, takes claims online through UInteract and by phone.

This page covers Missouri's own rules. 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 Missouri under RSMo Chapter 288. 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 Missouri

Missouri looks at your wages in a base period. Under RSMo 288.030, the base period is "the first four of the last five completed calendar quarters immediately preceding the first day of an individual's benefit year." Your benefit year is the one-year period that starts with the Sunday of the week you file.

To count as an insured worker, your base-period wages must pass one of two tests in RSMo 288.030:

• The standard test. You earned at least $1,500 in one quarter, and your total base-period wages are at least 1.5 times your highest quarter. DES summarizes this as at least $2,250 in total: $1,500 in one quarter and at least $750 in the rest of the base period.
• The alternative test. You were paid wages in at least two quarters, and your total base-period wages are at least 1.5 times the state's maximum taxable wage base.

DES does not describe an alternate base period that uses more recent quarters.

You must also be able to work, available for work, and "actively and earnestly seeking work" each week you claim (RSMo 288.040).

How much unemployment pays in Missouri

DES puts the formula simply: "Your weekly benefit amount (WBA) is 4 percent of the average of your two highest quarters in the base period. Missouri's maximum WBA is $320." RSMo 288.038 sets the same 4% formula, reduced to the next lower whole dollar, and the $320 cap for claims filed in 2008 and later.

The DES claimant handbook says weekly benefits range from $35 to $320. Missouri pays no dependents' allowance.

Here is the formula with sample figures. If your two best quarters paid $8,000 and $7,000, their average is $7,500, and 4% of $7,500 is $300 a week. Because $320 is 4% of $8,000, you reach the maximum when your two highest quarters average $8,000 or more.

You can estimate your own amount with our Missouri unemployment calculator. Only DES makes the official determination.

How long unemployment lasts in Missouri

The Division of Employment Security states: "Twenty weeks of benefits is the maximum allowed during a benefit year." Its handbook adds that "the maximum benefit amount payable during your benefit year is 20 times your weekly benefit amount (WBA), or one-third of your base period wages, whichever is less."

That one-third cap shortens claims for many people, and DES also limits the wage credits from each quarter to 26 times your weekly benefit. Using the example above, suppose your base-period wages were $8,000 and $7,000, with nothing in the other two quarters. At a $300 weekly benefit, each quarter counts for at most $7,800, so your wage credits are $7,800 plus $7,000, or $14,800. Twenty weeks at $300 would be $6,000, but one-third of $14,800 is about $4,933. The lower figure controls, so the claim is worth about $4,933, a little over 16 weeks of full payments.

You can keep claiming until you use up that maximum benefit amount or your benefit year ends.

The waiting week

Your first eligible week is an unpaid waiting week, and you still have to file a weekly request for payment for it. Missouri differs from many states because that week is not simply lost.

Under RSMo 288.040, "the one-week waiting period shall become compensable once his or her remaining balance on the claim is equal to or less than the compensable amount for the waiting period." DES explains that you "may receive compensation for the waiting week as the last payment on your regular UI claim." If you go back to work before drawing down your claim, you will not reach that point.

Quitting or being fired

Quitting. RSMo 288.050 disqualifies a claimant who "left work voluntarily without good cause attributable to such work or to the claimant's employer." Good cause "shall include only that cause which would compel a reasonable employee to cease working or which would require separation from work due to illness or disability."

The disqualification lasts until you earn wages in insured work, in any state, equal to 10 times your weekly benefit amount. The statute does not disqualify you if:

• You quit to take a better-paying job, accepted it, and earned wages in it.
• You left temporary work to return to your regular employer.
• You quit work that was not suitable within 28 calendar days of your first day.
• You were forced to leave because of pregnancy, with competent medical proof, gave prompt notice, returned to the employer within 90 days after the pregnancy ended, and had worked at least one year for that employer.
• You quit to relocate with a spouse on active military duty under a mandatory and permanent change-of-station order, where commuting was impractical and you stayed employed as long as was reasonable.
• You left to enter training approved under the federal Trade Act.

If you work for a temporary help firm and fail to contact it for reassignment after being told to, the statute treats that as a voluntary quit.

Refusing work. The same 10-times disqualification applies if, without good cause, you fail to apply for available suitable work when the Division directs you to, or turn down suitable work that is offered to you, including an offer from a former employer (RSMo 288.050).

Being fired. A discharge for misconduct connected with your work disqualifies you until you earn six times your weekly benefit amount in insured work (RSMo 288.050). In more aggravated cases, DES can also cancel some or all of the wage credits you earned with that employer. A suspension of four weeks or more for misconduct is treated as a discharge (RSMo 288.040).

RSMo 288.030 defines misconduct to include:

• Knowing disregard of the employer's interest, or knowing violation of the standards of behavior the employer expects
• Carelessness or negligence so serious or repeated that it shows culpability, wrongful intent or knowing disregard of the employer's interest
• Violating a no-call, no-show policy, chronic absenteeism or tardiness in violation of a known policy, or two or more unapproved absences after a written warning, unless the absences are protected by law
• Knowingly violating a state standard or regulation, if you work for a state-licensed employer and the violation would expose it to sanctions
• Violating an employer's rule, unless you show that you did not and could not reasonably know of the rule, the rule was unlawful, or it was not fairly or consistently enforced

Missouri is an at-will employment state, so an employer can let you go for reasons that are not misconduct, and those firings do not disqualify you. Whatever the reason you left, your employer still owes your earned wages; see Missouri final paycheck laws.

Work search requirements

Under RSMo 288.040, "unless the deputy directs otherwise, a claimant shall make a minimum of three work search contacts during any week for which he or she claims benefits." DES warns that failing to complete three activities can lead to a denial. Union members whose union runs a hiring or referral hall may meet the requirement through the hall.

DES also asks you to visit jobs.mo.gov or a Missouri Job Center at least once a month, and to report to a Job Center if you receive a reemployment services letter.

The statute excuses the work search in two situations:

• You are in training approved under the Trade Act.
• You are temporarily out of work through no fault of your own and have a definite recall date within eight weeks of your first day of unemployment. If that employer applies, the director can extend this to as long as 16 weeks.

Working part-time while on unemployment

If your hours are cut, you can still receive a partial benefit. Under RSMo 288.060, the payment is your weekly benefit amount minus the part of your wages that exceeds $20 or 20% of your weekly benefit, whichever is greater, reduced to the next lower whole dollar.

For example, with a $300 weekly benefit, 20% is $60, which is more than $20, so the first $60 you earn is disregarded. If you earn $150 that week, $90 is over the disregard, and the payment is $210.

Other income can also reduce benefits. A pension or retirement payment from a plan that a base-period or chargeable employer maintained or contributed to, or a temporary partial workers' compensation payment, that is more than your weekly benefit makes you ineligible for that week, and a smaller one reduces your benefit dollar for dollar (RSMo 288.040). Social Security and Railroad Retirement benefits are not deducted if you contributed to them.

How to file for unemployment in Missouri

File as soon as you are separated from your job. DES says to file "online at uinteract.labor.mo.gov as soon as you are separated from your employer, otherwise benefits may be delayed." Your claim takes effect on the Sunday of the week you file, not your last day of work, so waiting can cost you weeks.

You can file online at uinteract.labor.mo.gov or by calling the Regional Claims Center at 800-320-2519, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Central Time, Monday through Friday. The TDD/TTY line is 800-735-2966, and Relay Missouri is 711.

Have this ready:

• Your Social Security number
• The name and mailing address of each employer you worked for in the last 18 months
• Your start and end dates with each employer
• Your DD214 Member 4 copy if you were on active military duty in the last 18 months
• Your total gross earnings for the week you file, including any vacation, holiday or WARN pay

Weekly requests for payment. DES says to "file a weekly request for payment every week in UInteract, as early as Sunday after the week has ended," and to report your work search contacts. Under RSMo 288.040, a claim for a week must be made within 14 days after that week ends, extended to 28 days for good cause. DES pays by direct deposit or a Money Network Visa debit card.

If you owe past-due child support, DES says up to 50% of your weekly benefit can be withheld for it.

Denials and appeals

You have 30 calendar days to appeal a determination. Under RSMo 288.070, a determination becomes final unless you file an appeal "within thirty calendar days after notice of such determination is either delivered in person or mailed to the last known address." If you chose electronic notices, the notice counts as mailed on the date it was sent.

Missouri has three levels of review:

1. Appeals tribunal. A referee with the Division hears the case (RSMo 288.190). The tribunal's decision becomes final unless you appeal within 30 days.
2. Labor and Industrial Relations Commission. You can ask the Commission to review the tribunal's decision within 30 days after it is mailed or you are notified (RSMo 288.200). The Commission's decision becomes final 10 days after notification.
3. Missouri Court of Appeals. Within 20 days after the Commission's decision becomes final, you can appeal to the appellate court for the area where you live (RSMo 288.210).

DES tells claimants to "continue to make your weekly requests for payment while you are waiting for the appeal hearing and decision." If a determination goes in your favor, RSMo 288.070 requires benefits to be paid promptly even if your employer appeals.

Overpayments

If you received benefits you were not entitled to because of an error or omission by the Division, or because the Division did not know a material fact, RSMo 288.380 lets DES deduct the overpayment from future benefits or require repayment, at its discretion. DES may choose not to process an overpayment of no more than 20% of the maximum weekly benefit, which is $64 at the current $320 maximum.

Fraud, meaning an intentional misrepresentation or failure to disclose a material fact, costs more. You must repay the benefits plus a penalty of 25% of the amount obtained, or 100% if you have a prior fraud overpayment on record. Future benefits can be applied to the overpayment but not to the penalty, and an unpaid fraud penalty makes you ineligible for benefits (RSMo 288.040). You can appeal a fraud determination within 30 calendar days.

If you cannot afford to repay, ask DES what options apply to your case.

Is unemployment taxed in Missouri?

Yes. DES states that "unemployment benefits are subject to federal and state income taxes," and the Missouri Department of Revenue tells filers to include the taxable portion of unemployment compensation in Missouri adjusted gross income.

You can elect federal withholding in UInteract. For more on federal tax and Form 1099-G, see our unemployment benefits by state guide.

Recent changes and myths

Senate Bill 890, signed by Governor Kehoe on July 13, 2026, repealed and re-enacted RSMo 288.040 along with other sections, effective August 28, 2026. The only change SB 890 made to 288.040 renames the "division of workforce development" as the "office of workforce development" in a reporting provision. The work search, waiting week and other benefit rules on this page did not change.

The 20-week limit comes from the 2011 version of RSMo 288.060. A 2015 bill (House Bill 150) that would have cut duration to as few as 13 weeks when unemployment is low never took effect. In Pestka v. State (2016), the Missouri Supreme Court held that the legislature overrode the governor's veto of that bill too late, so 20 weeks remains the maximum.

Some common beliefs do not match the law:

• "Missouri pays 26 weeks." DES says 20 weeks is the maximum, and the one-third-of-wages cap can make it shorter.
• "The waiting week is lost." It can be paid as your last payment once your remaining balance falls to the waiting-week amount.
• "The maximum goes up every year." $320 is a flat statutory cap with no indexing.
• "Quitting or being fired disqualifies you for good." The disqualification ends once you earn 10 times your weekly benefit after a quit, or 6 times after a misconduct discharge.

Disclaimer: This article provides general legal information about Missouri unemployment insurance. It is not legal advice and it is not a benefit determination. Only the Missouri Division of Employment Security decides whether you are eligible and how much you receive. The information was verified on October 7, 2026. If your claim was denied or you are facing an overpayment, consider talking to a lawyer licensed in Missouri or a legal aid office.

Related

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

Last updated: October 7, 2026.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the maximum unemployment benefit in Missouri?

$320 a week. RSMo 288.038 caps the weekly amount at $320 for initial claims filed in 2008 and later, and the Division of Employment Security confirms that figure.

How is Missouri unemployment calculated?

The Division takes 4% of the average of your two highest-paid base-period quarters, rounded down to the next lower whole dollar. Benefits range from $35 to $320 a week.

How many weeks of unemployment can I get in Missouri?

The Division of Employment Security says 20 weeks is the maximum in a benefit year. Your total is the lesser of 20 times your weekly benefit or one-third of your base-period wages, so some claimants receive less.

How much do I need to have earned to get unemployment in Missouri?

Generally at least $1,500 in one base-period quarter and total base-period wages of at least 1.5 times your highest quarter, which works out to at least $2,250. RSMo 288.030 also offers an alternative test based on the state's taxable wage base.

Does Missouri pay the waiting week?

Not up front. The first eligible week is unpaid, but RSMo 288.040 makes it payable once your remaining claim balance falls to the waiting-week amount, so it can come as your last payment.

Can I get unemployment in Missouri if I quit?

Only with good cause attributable to the work or your employer, or under a statutory exception such as taking a better-paying job or following an active-duty military spouse's permanent change of station. Otherwise you must earn 10 times your weekly benefit first (RSMo 288.050).

How much can I earn and still collect unemployment in Missouri?

Earnings up to the greater of $20 or 20% of your weekly benefit are disregarded, and anything above that is subtracted from your payment (RSMo 288.060).

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

30 calendar days after the determination is delivered in person or mailed to your last known address (RSMo 288.070). After that it becomes final.

Is unemployment taxable in Missouri?

Yes. The Division says benefits are subject to federal and state income taxes, and the Department of Revenue includes them in Missouri adjusted gross income.

What is the phone number to file for unemployment in Missouri?

The Regional Claims Center is 800-320-2519, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Central Time, Monday through Friday. You can also file online at uinteract.labor.mo.gov.