Unemployment Estimate

All states

Unemployment benefits in California

$450Maximum weekly benefit

$450 a week (range $40 to $450)12

The details

Minimum weekly benefit
$40 a week.12
How the weekly amount is figured
Depends on how much you earned in the past 18 months.1
Base period
Wages earned during a specific period, based on earnings over the past 18 months.1
How to apply
Apply online through myEDD, then register in CalJOBS and certify for benefits.1

The sources we read do not say: maximum weeks, waiting week.

EDD does not give an effective date for the $450 maximum.

Sources

  1. Unemployment Insurance, California Employment Development Department, checked 1 November 2026
  2. Unemployment Benefit Calculator, California Employment Development Department, checked 1 November 2026

Checked 1 November 2026. "Secondary" marks a source used only because the official page could not be read.