Unemployment benefits in Michigan (2026): weekly amount and how to apply
From the July 2026 table
Minimum $218 - $315. Maximum $530.
The table lists 14 to 26 weeks. The weeks column does not include extra weeks a state pays only in limited circumstances, such as high unemployment, approved training, or a workforce dislocation.
These figures are for Michigan only. They come from the U.S. Department of Labor's Significant Provisions table, effective July 1, 2026. That publication says it is not an official interpretation of state law.
Weekly benefit amount
Minimum: $218 - $315. Maximum: $530.
The minimum is a range. Footnote 1 says the higher minimum includes the dependents' allowance for the maximum number of dependents. The maximum in the table is a single figure.
How the weekly amount is calculated
4.1% high-quarter wages + $19.33 for each dependent up to 5.
The table prints: 4.1% HQW + $19.33 for each dep up to 5.
What you need to qualify
Total base-period wages = 1 1/2 times high-quarter wages; wages in at least 2 base period quarters; at least $5,328 in high quarter; or wages in at least 2 base period quarters; base-period wages at least 20 times the state average weekly wage.
The table prints: Total BPW = 1½ x HQW; wages in at least 2 BP qtrs; at least $5,328 in HQ; or wages in at least 2 BP qtrs; BPW at least 20 x State AWW.
Maximum weeks
The table lists 14 to 26 weeks. The weeks column does not include extra weeks a state pays only in limited circumstances, such as high unemployment, approved training, or a workforce dislocation.
The maximum benefit calculation, in plain words: Lesser of 43% base-period wages or 26 times weekly benefit amount.
The table prints: Lesser of 43% BPW or 26 x WBA.
Waiting week
No. Table 3-7 of the 2023 Comparison lists no waiting period for Michigan. Under that table, benefits are not held back for a waiting week.
The July 2026 table does not repeat the waiting week. It tells readers to use Chapter 3 of the 2023 Comparison.
Working part time
Part-time work can still leave a payment for that week. The July 2026 table lists what this state disregards: The Michigan earnings cell is split across lines in the PDF. Joined, those lines say: If remuneration calculation < 1.5 times weekly benefit amount, reduction is 50¢ for $1.00 earned or if >1.5 times weekly benefit amount, reduction is $1.00 for $1.00 earned; Total benefits plus earnings cannot exceed 1.5 times weekly benefit amount.. Earnings above that amount can reduce the weekly benefit. The table does not print a longer partial-benefit formula, so this page does not add one.
How to apply
File with the unemployment agency in the state where you worked. The July 2026 report says state filing information is at Unemployment.gov. Do not type a Social Security number, a password, or a bank account on this website.
Michigan page opened on October 22, 2026: Michigan Unemployment Insurance Agency.
When the benefits run out
The unemployment weeks above are the regular state maximum in the July 2026 table. When they end, these Michigan guides are the next places to check. Just lost your job? puts them in order.
Last checked: October 22, 2026
Sources
- U.S. Department of Labor, Significant Provisions of State Unemployment Insurance Laws, effective July 2026 Effective July 1, 2026. Weekly amounts, earnings disregarded, weeks payable, and the qualifying and benefit formulas come from this table.
- U.S. Department of Labor, Comparison of State Unemployment Insurance Laws, 2023, Chapter 3, Table 3-7 The July 2026 table points here for the waiting week. The edition is 2023. It was not reissued as a 2026 comparison.
- Unemployment.gov, find your state The July 2026 report says filing information for a state claim is at Unemployment.gov.
- Unemployment.gov, common questions Read October 22, 2026. It says claims are filed in the state where you worked. It does not print a first-payment date or a certification schedule.
- Michigan Unemployment Insurance Agency State page opened October 22, 2026.
What changed
- October 22, 2026. Published the July 2026 weekly figures and the 2023 waiting-week table. Certification frequency and a state first-payment date are left off because those sources do not print them.