Unemployment benefits in New Jersey (2026): weekly amount and how to apply
From the July 2026 table
Minimum $186 - $213. Maximum $905.
The table lists 20 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 New Jersey 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: $186 - $213. Maximum: $905.
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
60% of claimant’s average weekly wage + dependents' allowance.
The table prints: 60% of claimant’s AWW + DA.
What you need to qualify
20 weeks employment at 20 times the state hourly minimum wage or 1,000 times the state hourly minimum wage.
The table prints: 20 weeks employment at 20 x State hourly minimum wage or 1,000 x State hourly minimum wage.
Maximum weeks
The table lists 20 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: Number of weeks worked in base year up to 26 times weekly benefit amount.
The table prints: Number of weeks worked in base year up to 26 x WBA.
Waiting week
No. Table 3-7 of the 2023 Comparison lists no waiting period for New Jersey. 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: Greater of 20% weekly benefit amount or $5. 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.
The table prints: Greater of 20% WBA or $5.
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.
New Jersey page opened on October 22, 2026: New Jersey Division of Unemployment Insurance.
When the benefits run out
The unemployment weeks above are the regular state maximum in the July 2026 table. When they end, these New Jersey 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.
- New Jersey Division of Unemployment Insurance 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.