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Lost your job in Florida? How unemployment works

Florida pays regular unemployment insurance through the FloridaCommerce (Reemployment Assistance). Weekly benefits run $32–$275 for up to 12 weeks. Florida's duration is indexed to the state unemployment rate: 12 weeks at or below 5 percent, plus 1 week per 0.5 percent above 5 percent, up to 23 weeks. FloridaCommerce's FAQ lists 12 weeks and a $3,300 maximum for 2025 and 2026 claims. Total is the lesser of 25 percent of base period wages or weekly amount times the weeks. 1 unpaid waiting week. Last checked .

What to do this week

  1. File your claim now. File as soon as you are out of work. A claim becomes effective the Sunday of the week you complete the application; it is not retroactive to the day you lost your job. You can file online, in person. Open the FloridaCommerce filing page or call 833-352-7759 (1-833-FL-APPLY) (Monday-Friday, 8 a.m.-5 p.m. (customer service contact center; free interpreter services also at 1-833-FL-APPLY)).
  2. Gather your records. The agency will ask for your last employers, dates and pay. To qualify: At least $3,400 in base period wages, wages in at least two quarters, and total base period wages greater than 1.5 times the highest quarter.
  3. Start certifying every week. Request benefits in Reconnect every two weeks (scheduled date; within 7 days of it). Report work, earnings and work search contacts. 5 employer contacts per week if you live in a county with more than 75,000 people; 3 per week in a county of 75,000 or fewer. Meeting with a CareerSource representative also counts. Temporary layoff with return within 8 weeks is exempt. You must also register with Employ Florida.
  4. Line up other help. Florida SNAP income limits, Florida take-home pay calculator.

Florida unemployment at a glance

Agency
FloridaCommerce (Reemployment Assistance) (FloridaCommerce)
Weekly benefit
$32–$275 (table in force from October 16, 2026)
Most weeks
12 — Florida's duration is indexed to the state unemployment rate: 12 weeks at or below 5 percent, plus 1 week per 0.5 percent above 5 percent, up to 23 weeks. FloridaCommerce's FAQ lists 12 weeks and a $3,300 maximum for 2025 and 2026 claims. Total is the lesser of 25 percent of base period wages or weekly amount times the weeks.
Waiting week
The first week of your claim that you meet eligibility requirements is a non-payable waiting week. You must still claim it and report work search contacts. No money is taken from your benefit limit.
Appeal deadline
Request an appeal hearing within 20 calendar days after the distributed date of the determination; if day 20 is a weekend or legal holiday you may file the next business day.
Spanish / Chinese help
Site and claim pages are offered in English, Spanish and Haitian Creole. The handbook gives a free translation line in many languages including Chinese (call 1-800-681-8102, or 1-833-352-7759); no translated Chinese claim pages found.

How much you could get

Weekly benefits range from $32 to $275. The maximum total is the lesser of one-quarter of base period wages or $3,300 (12 weeks x $275) for 2025-2026 claims. How it is figured: The highest-earning quarter in the base period divided by 26, rounded down, but not less than $32 or more than $275.

At the top of the table — $275 a week for 12 weeks — the most a claim can pay is $3,300. That is a ceiling, not a typical claim; most people get less because the amount follows past wages.

Who qualifies

  • Base period. The first four of the last five completed calendar quarters before the claim (s. 443.036). The FAQ says claims filed from July 1, 2026 use April 1, 2025 through March 31, 2026; under the same statute, claims filed from October 1, 2026 use July 1, 2025 through June 30, 2026. Official sources describe no alternate base period.
  • Work and wages. At least $3,400 in base period wages, wages in at least two quarters, and total base period wages greater than 1.5 times the highest quarter.
  • If you quit. If you quit, you must prove you had good cause; FloridaCommerce decides after you apply.
  • If you were fired. If you were fired for misconduct you may not qualify; FloridaCommerce decides after you apply.
  • Part-time, gig and self-employed work. If you work part-time, earnings over 8 times the federal hourly minimum wage ($58 a week) are deducted from your weekly benefit; you get no payment if earnings equal or exceed your weekly benefit or you work 32 or more hours. Only wages from covered employment count toward a claim; the FAQ says non-covered work is not on the monetary determination.

Weekly certification, taxes and appeals

How to file
Apply online in Reconnect at FloridaJobs.org (create a login and verify identity with ID.me), or apply in person at a local CareerSource center. Florida calls unemployment insurance 'Reemployment Assistance'.
Weekly certification
Request benefits in Reconnect every two weeks (scheduled date; within 7 days of it). Report work, earnings and work search contacts.
Work search
5 employer contacts per week if you live in a county with more than 75,000 people; 3 per week in a county of 75,000 or fewer. Meeting with a CareerSource representative also counts. Temporary layoff with return within 8 weeks is exempt. You must also register with Employ Florida.
Taxes
Benefits are taxable income; you may choose 10 percent federal withholding and receive a Form 1099-G.
State withholding
No state withholding offered; handbook offers only 10 percent federal withholding (Florida levies no state income tax on wages)
If you are denied
Reemployment Assistance Help Center, Reconnect, or written Notice of Appeal by mail/fax to the Office of Appeals Keep certifying every week while the appeal is pending.
Overpayments
If you are paid more than you were eligible for you must repay it, including any income tax withheld; non-fraud and fraud overpayments are treated separately and you may appeal.

Good to know in Florida

  • Florida calls the program Reemployment Assistance and the system Reconnect; identity must be verified through ID.me.
  • Claim duration is tied to the unemployment rate; check the FAQ for the max in force on the filing date.
  • Florida's official sources do not describe an alternate base period.
  • Phone hours: the customer service contact center is Monday-Friday, 8 a.m.-5 p.m.; the same line offers free interpreter services.

Sources

Legal and agency information, not legal advice. Rules and benefit tables change — confirm with FloridaCommerce before you rely on a number. How we check: methodology.