Montana Unemployment Calculator 2026
Montana pays $238–$805 per week for up to 24 weeks in 2026. Your weekly benefit amount is 1% of your total base-period wages. Enter your quarterly wages below to estimate it — the math runs entirely in your browser, from figures verified against Montana Department of Labor & Industry, Unemployment Insurance Division.
Works offline — your inputs never leave this device. How that works
Enter your gross wages for each quarter of the base period — roughly the first four of the last five completed calendar quarters before you file. Your state's exact window is shown with the result.
Base period: First four of the last five completed calendar quarters before the week the application is filed. (an alternate base period is available if you don’t qualify with the standard one).
File your claim with Montana Department of Labor & Industry, Unemployment Insurance Division — only the agency determines your actual benefit.
Verified 2026-07-31 against Montana UI Division Benefits Estimator (2026 constants in its calculator script) + UI Claimant Handbook (effective 2026-07-01)
Estimate only — not legal, tax, or financial advice. Only Montana Department of Labor & Industry, Unemployment Insurance Division can determine your actual amounts.
Official source: Montana Department of Labor & Industry, Unemployment Insurance Division — file a claim ↗
Working part-time? Partial benefits
Montana disregards part of what you earn in a week before reducing your benefit. Estimate what a part-time week leaves you with:
How long benefits can last
Up to 24 weeks; total benefits are Handbook: 'Your MBA is made up of a Weekly Benefit Amount (WBA) that you can draw out for a number of weeks (24 maximum).' The Benefits Estimator derives the week count from the ratio of total base-period wages to high-quarter wages: under 1.25 = 8 weeks; 1.25 to under 1.5 = 10; 1.5 to under 1.75 = 12; 1.75 to under 2 = 14; 2 to under 2.25 = 16; 2.25 to under 2.5 = 18; 2.5 to under 2.75 = 20; 2.75 to under 3 = 22; 3 or more = 24 weeks.
Who qualifies for benefits in Montana
Benefits Estimator eligibility test (agency calculator, 2026): total base-period wages must be at least 1.5 times the high quarter AND at least 7% of the state average annual wage ($61,987.12 for benefit years beginning on or after July 1, 2026), OR at least 50% of the state average annual wage.
Meeting the wage test is not the same as being approved: Montana Department of Labor & Industry, Unemployment Insurance Division also rules on the reason for the separation and on your availability for work each week. File with Montana Department of Labor & Industry, Unemployment Insurance Division ↗
Base period in Montana
First four of the last five completed calendar quarters before the week the application is filed.. An alternate base period is available if you don’t qualify with the standard window. Handbook: 'If you are not eligible on a regular Base Period, UI will use an Alternate Base Period (ABP) to determine your eligibility.'
See which quarters count for your filing date →Severance and your claim
Handbook: 'Termination pay, including separation/severance pay should be reported when you open your claim'; receipt of retirement pay, disability benefits, or pension must also be reported, and Claims Processing determines the effect.
Source: Montana UI Division Benefits Estimator (2026 constants in its calculator script) + UI Claimant Handbook (verified 2026-07-31).
Montana unemployment: frequently asked questions
Montana pays between $238 and $805 per week in 2026. Your amount is 1% of your total base-period wages, and only Montana Department of Labor & Industry, Unemployment Insurance Division can determine it officially. These figures were verified against the agency's own publication on 2026-07-31.
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