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Lost your job in Maryland? How unemployment works

Maryland pays regular unemployment insurance through the Maryland Department of Labor, Division of Unemployment Insurance. Weekly benefits run $50–$430 for up to 26 weeks. Fixed at 26 weeks in a one-year benefit year; partial payments can stretch the weeks but total is capped at 26 times the weekly amount. No waiting week. Last checked .

What to do this week

  1. File your claim now. The official claimant pages do not give a filing deadline; the benefit week runs Sunday to Saturday, and you certify each week after it ends. The benefit year begins in the week you first apply. You can file online, by phone. Open the MD Labor DUI filing page or call 667-207-6520 (Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. (busiest Mondays and Tuesdays)).
  2. Gather your records. The agency will ask for your last employers, dates and pay. To qualify: At least $1,176.01 in your highest base-period quarter, and total base-period wages of at least $1,800 over at least 2 quarters. The statute's schedule requires total qualifying wages of 1.5 times your high-quarter wages.
  3. Start certifying every week. Weekly certification each week (Sunday 12:01 a.m. to Saturday 11:59 p.m. after the benefit week) in BEACON, the MD Unemployment for Claimants app, or the automated line 410-949-0022 or 800-827-4839. At least 3 job search activities each week, including at least 1 direct job contact, documented in the Maryland Workforce Exchange before you certify. Some exemptions apply.
  4. Line up other help. Maryland SNAP income limits, Maryland health coverage, Maryland local income tax by place.

Maryland unemployment at a glance

Agency
Maryland Department of Labor, Division of Unemployment Insurance (MD Labor DUI)
Weekly benefit
$50–$430
Most weeks
26 — Fixed at 26 weeks in a one-year benefit year; partial payments can stretch the weeks but total is capped at 26 times the weekly amount.
Waiting week
Maryland has no unpaid waiting week. The US DOL Comparison of State UI Laws lists Maryland as 'No waiting period', and the state's claimant pages and claimant guide do not mention one.
Appeal deadline
A claimant or employer normally has 15 days after the date of mailing of a determination to appeal; the due date is printed on the determination, and late appeals can be heard if there was good cause.
Spanish / Chinese help
Spanish pages: https://labor.maryland.gov/unemployment-insurance/index-es.shtml and https://labor.maryland.gov/spanish/. No Chinese pages found.

How much you could get

Weekly payments range from $50 to $430 depending on base-period earnings. Up to 26 weeks of regular benefits. How it is figured: Based on wages earned in the base period; the agency says it cannot estimate the amount in advance and the exact formula is not on the claimant pages. A dependents allowance of $8 per child (up to 5 children under 16) can be added, but the weekly amount cannot exceed the maximum.

At the top of the table — $430 a week for 26 weeks — the most a claim can pay is $11,180. That is a ceiling, not a typical claim; most people get less because the amount follows past wages (an allowance for dependents can raise it).

Who qualifies

  • Base period. Standard base period: the first year of the 18 months before you file (first four of the last five completed quarters). Alternate base period: the four most recently completed quarters, used if you do not qualify under the standard one.
  • Work and wages. At least $1,176.01 in your highest base-period quarter, and total base-period wages of at least $1,800 over at least 2 quarters. The statute's schedule requires total qualifying wages of 1.5 times your high-quarter wages.
  • If you quit. You are disqualified for voluntarily leaving work without good cause; good cause must generally be directly attributable to conditions of employment or the employer's actions, with a domestic violence exception.
  • If you were fired. Misconduct discharge disqualifies you for 10 to 15 weeks; gross misconduct requires earning 25 times your weekly benefit amount before you can qualify again.
  • Part-time, gig and self-employed work. You may keep the first $50 of weekly earnings; earnings above $50 reduce the benefit dollar for dollar. Part-time-only availability can qualify if you worked 20+ hours a week for 6 months of the base period. Self-employment income must be reported.

Weekly certification, taxes and appeals

How to file
File online in the Maryland Unemployment Insurance Portal (BEACON) or by phone with a claims agent at 667-207-6520. File in the state where you worked, not where you live; you must then register in the Maryland Workforce Exchange.
Weekly certification
Weekly certification each week (Sunday 12:01 a.m. to Saturday 11:59 p.m. after the benefit week) in BEACON, the MD Unemployment for Claimants app, or the automated line 410-949-0022 or 800-827-4839.
Work search
At least 3 job search activities each week, including at least 1 direct job contact, documented in the Maryland Workforce Exchange before you certify. Some exemptions apply.
Taxes
Benefits are subject to federal and Maryland income tax; you can choose 10% federal, 7% Maryland, both, or none withheld.
State withholding
optional, 7%
If you are denied
Lower Appeals Division, Maryland Department of Labor (BEACON, fax 410-225-9781, email, or mail to 2800 W. Patapsco Avenue, Baltimore, MD 21230) Keep certifying every week while the appeal is pending.
Overpayments
Overpaid benefits must be repaid (payment plans are available); you can request a waiver within 30 days of the notice if there was no fraud and no fault of yours, and fraud carries a 15% penalty plus 1.5% monthly interest.

Good to know in Maryland

  • The Claimant Guide says that if you are still unemployed and appealing, you must keep filing weekly claim certifications while waiting for the appeal decision.
  • The benefit table effective date is not stated; the $50-$430 range is from pages current in 2026.
  • Appeals from Lower Appeals decisions go to the Board of Appeals (410-767-2781); do not appeal an initial determination directly to the Board.
  • A decision is aimed for within 21 days after filing.
  • You do not need to repay an overpayment while a timely appeal or waiver request is pending (Claimant Guide).
  • Aggravated misconduct (Md. Code, Lab. & Empl. 8-1002.1: physical assault or serious property loss or damage with actual malice) is a separate, stricter disqualification that lasts until you earn wages of at least 30 times your weekly benefit amount.

Sources

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