How is the Idaho weekly benefit amount calculated?

Idaho computes your weekly benefit amount (WBA) as your highest-quarter base-period wages divided by 26. The result is then capped at the state maximum weekly benefit amount (about $532 in 2024) and must meet a minimum (about $72). So if you earned $13,000 in your best quarter, your WBA would be roughly $500 before the cap is applied.

What is Idaho's maximum unemployment benefit?

Idaho's maximum weekly benefit amount is roughly $532 per week for new claims filed in 2024, indexed each year to the statewide average wage. No matter how high your wages were, the weekly benefit cannot exceed this maximum. The minimum weekly benefit is around $72.

Do I qualify for Idaho unemployment?

To be monetarily eligible in Idaho your total base-period wages must generally be at least 1.25 times your highest-quarter wages, and you must have wages in more than one quarter. This estimator checks that 1.25x ratio. You must also be unemployed through no fault of your own and able and available to work — those non-monetary rules are not modeled here.

How many weeks can I collect in Idaho?

Idaho benefit duration is variable, generally between 10 and 20 weeks for new claims, based on the ratio of your total base-period wages to your highest-quarter wages. Higher total wages relative to your best quarter generally yield more weeks, up to the 20-week cap. Federal extensions during high-unemployment periods can add weeks but are not modeled here.

Is this estimate exact?

No. It is a close approximation using Idaho's published WBA formula and caps. Your actual benefit depends on the precise base period the Idaho Department of Labor uses, verified wage records, deductions for part-time earnings, and non-monetary eligibility. File a real claim for an official determination.

Idaho Unemployment Benefit Estimator (UI WBA)

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How Idaho unemployment benefits work

Idaho’s unemployment insurance (UI), run by the Idaho Department of Labor, replaces part of your wages while you look for work. Your weekly benefit amount (WBA) is driven by how much you earned in your single highest-earning quarter of the base period (typically the first four of the last five completed calendar quarters). That figure is divided by 26, then capped at a state maximum and floored at a minimum. Your total base-period wages determine both monetary eligibility and how many weeks you can collect.

How it works

The estimator applies Idaho’s published rules:

raw WBA   = highest-quarter wages / 26
WBA       = clamp(raw WBA, min ~$72, max ~$532)
eligible  = total base-period wages >= 1.25 x highest-quarter wages
weeks     = scaled 10-20 weeks by total/high-quarter ratio
max benefit = WBA x weeks

The 1.25x ratio is a standard monetary-eligibility check: it confirms you earned wages in more than just one quarter. If your total wages fall below that, the estimate flags you as likely ineligible on a monetary basis.

Example and notes

A claimant with $13,000 in their highest quarter and $40,000 total base-period wages:

raw WBA   = $13,000 / 26 = $500.00
WBA       = $500.00 (under the ~$532 cap)
1.25 x high quarter = $16,250; total $40,000 >= $16,250 -> eligible
duration  = ~20 weeks (high total-to-quarter ratio)
max benefit = $500.00 x 20 = $10,000

Note: Idaho’s maximum and minimum WBA are reset annually and the exact base period and duration formula are set by statute. This is an estimate only — the Idaho Department of Labor issues the official monetary determination after you file. Part-time earnings while claiming reduce your weekly payment.