Kansas Unemployment Calculator
Figure basis: Official U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Unemployment InsuranceThis calculator estimates your Kansas unemployment insurance (UI) weekly benefit for 2026. Enter your usual gross weekly pay to see an estimated weekly benefit, alongside the official Kansas minimum ($159) and maximum ($637) weekly benefit amounts and the 10 to 16 weeks of benefits payable. The weekly amount is an estimate: it uses about 50% wage replacement (which matches the common "one twenty-sixth of high-quarter wages" rule) and is capped at the state minimum and maximum. Your state agency sets the exact figure from your base-period wage history, and eligibility rules apply. The minimum, maximum, and number of weeks are the official 2026 figures, sourced from U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Unemployment Insurance.
In Kansas, the weekly unemployment benefit ranges from $159 to $637, payable for 10 to 16 weeks (up to $10,192 in total). On $1,000 a week, the estimated benefit is about $500.00 per week.
How Kansas unemployment benefits work
Kansas pays a weekly benefit amount (WBA) based on your earnings during the base period (usually the first four of the last five completed calendar quarters). The WBA is subject to a state minimum of $159 and a maximum of $637, and is payable for 10 to 16 weeks.
estimated weekly benefit = min(max(weekly wage x 50%, $159), $637)
estimated maximum total = estimated weekly benefit x 16 weeks
The 50% figure is an approximation of the common state formula; your state agency sets the exact WBA from your wage records.
Kansas unemployment figures (2026)
| Figure | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum weekly benefit | $159 | U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Unemployment Insurance |
| Maximum weekly benefit | $637 | U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Unemployment Insurance |
| Weeks payable | 10 to 16 weeks | U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Unemployment Insurance |
Short weeks, high floor: reading the Kansas schedule
Kansas stands out on this list in two ways. The first is variable duration: instead of a flat 26 weeks, Kansas now pays somewhere between 10 and 16 weeks, and the exact number slides with the state's recent unemployment rate. When the Kansas jobless rate is low, as it has been, benefits run at the shorter end of that range, so a strong state economy can quietly shorten your safety net at the moment you need it.
The second is an unusually high floor. The $159 minimum weekly benefit is one of the highest state minimums in the country, several times the $37 to $51 floors you see in Indiana or Illinois. Kansas builds the weekly amount from a percentage of your highest base-period quarter rather than a flat 50% of pay, so the on-screen estimate here is only a rough stand-in for the state's own formula.
The $637 maximum is middle of the pack, but the short duration changes the arithmetic. At 16 weeks a maxed-out claim is worth up to $10,192; if the rate-driven schedule drops you to 10 weeks, that same weekly maximum caps out at $6,370. That swing is the single most important thing to grasp about Kansas: the number of weeks the current trigger allows matters as much as the weekly figure, so check the Kansas Department of Labor for the schedule in force when you file.
Kansas unemployment: frequently asked questions
What is the maximum unemployment benefit in Kansas for 2026?
The maximum weekly benefit amount in Kansas is $637 for 2026. The minimum is $159. Over the maximum 16 weeks, that is up to $10,192 in total benefits.
How many weeks of unemployment can I get in Kansas?
Kansas pays benefits for 10 to 16 weeks; the exact number depends on your base-period wages and, in some states, the state unemployment rate.
How much unemployment will I get in Kansas?
Your weekly benefit is roughly half your usual gross weekly pay, subject to the Kansas minimum of $159 and maximum of $637. For example, on $1,000 a week the estimate is about $500.00. This is an estimate; Kansas sets your exact amount from your base-period wage history.
Is this the exact unemployment amount I will receive?
No. The minimum, maximum, and weeks shown are the official 2026 figures, but the weekly amount here is an estimate (about 50% wage replacement, which matches the common "one twenty-sixth of high-quarter wages" rule). Your state agency computes the exact figure from your reported wages, and eligibility rules apply.
Official sources
- Kansas unemployment weekly benefit and duration (tax year 2026): U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Unemployment Insurance, as at Jul 15, 2026.
Reviewed by the CalculatorHub team, edited by James Graham, 15 July 2026. See our methodology. General information, not legal or financial advice; file your claim with your state agency.