West Virginia Unemployment Calculator 2026
West Virginia pays $24–$662 per week for up to 26 weeks in 2026. Your weekly benefit amount is a statutory benefit table (W. Va. Code 21A-6-10 BENEFIT TABLE (Columns A/B/C), cross-transcribed from the WorkForce West Virginia "WV Bureau of Employment Programs Benefit Table" (Rev. 5.23) PDF; 404 wage classes.) applied to your highest-earning quarter. Enter your quarterly wages below to estimate it — the math runs entirely in your browser, from figures verified against WorkForce West Virginia.
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 (WorkForce WV Claimant Handbook glossary: "At the time an initial claim for benefits is filed, wages from the first four of the last five completed calendar quarters are reviewed to determine UI benefit eligibility."). (an alternate base period is available if you don’t qualify with the standard one).
File your claim with WorkForce West Virginia — only the agency determines your actual benefit.
Verified 2026-07-31 against W. Va. Code 21A-6-10 - Benefit rate: total unemployment (statutory BENEFIT TABLE) (effective 2026-01-01)
Estimate only — not legal, tax, or financial advice. Only WorkForce West Virginia can determine your actual amounts.
Official source: WorkForce West Virginia — file a claim ↗
Working part-time? Partial benefits
West Virginia disregards part of what you earn in a week before reducing your benefit. Estimate what a part-time week leaves you with:
- Disregard: flat $60.00
- Countable earnings: $150.00 − $60.00 = $90.00
- Payable: WBA $400.00 − $90.00 = $310.00
How long benefits can last
Up to 26 weeks.
Who qualifies for benefits in West Virginia
W. Va. Code 21A-6-1(5): the claimant must "within his or her base period been paid wages for employment equal to not less than ,200 and must have earned wages in more than one quarter of his or her base period", or meet the same test in the alternative base period. The benefit table prints "Under ,200.00 Ineligible".
- Minimum base-period wages
- $2,200
Meeting the wage test is not the same as being approved: WorkForce West Virginia also rules on the reason for the separation and on your availability for work each week. File with WorkForce West Virginia ↗
Base period in West Virginia
First four of the last five completed calendar quarters (WorkForce WV Claimant Handbook glossary: "At the time an initial claim for benefits is filed, wages from the first four of the last five completed calendar quarters are reviewed to determine UI benefit eligibility.").. An alternate base period is available if you don’t qualify with the standard window. W. Va. Code 21A-6-1(5) provides an alternative base period for claimants not eligible under the standard base period.
See which quarters count for your filing date →Severance and your claim
WorkForce WV Claimant Handbook: "Severance pay or severance packages are payments made by the employer based on the length of employment the employee had with the company. This is not deductible income and does not affect your WBA." By contrast, wages in lieu of notice "is deductible income". "Be sure to report any separation payments when you file your weekly certification."
Source: W. Va. Code 21A-6-10 - Benefit rate: total unemployment (statutory BENEFIT TABLE) (verified 2026-07-31).
West Virginia unemployment: frequently asked questions
West Virginia pays between $24 and $662 per week in 2026. Your amount is a statutory benefit table (W. Va. Code 21A-6-10 BENEFIT TABLE (Columns A/B/C), cross-transcribed from the WorkForce West Virginia "WV Bureau of Employment Programs Benefit Table" (Rev. 5.23) PDF; 404 wage classes.) applied to your highest-earning quarter, and only WorkForce West Virginia can determine it officially. These figures were verified against the agency's own publication on 2026-07-31.
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