Skip to content
PayByTown

Lost your job in Michigan? How unemployment works

Michigan pays regular unemployment insurance through the Michigan Unemployment Insurance Agency (Dept. of Labor and Economic Opportunity). Weekly benefits run up to $530 for up to 26 weeks. Between 14 and 26 weeks: base-period wages times 43%, divided by your weekly benefit rate, rounded down to the nearest half week. 26 weeks applies to claims filed on or after April 2, 2025. No waiting week. Last checked .

What to do this week

  1. File your claim now. The pages reviewed give no filing deadline; file as soon as you are unemployed or your hours are reduced. A claim sets a 52-week benefit year starting on the date you file. You can file online, by phone. Open the UIA filing page or call 1-866-500-0017 (Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. (claim filing by phone 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.); TTY 1-866-366-0004).
  2. Gather your records. The agency will ask for your last employers, dates and pay. To qualify: For benefit years beginning Jan. 1, 2026: wages in at least two quarters, at least $5,328 in one quarter, and total base-period wages of at least 1.5 times your highest quarter.
  3. Start certifying every week. Certify every two weeks online in MiWAM (24/7) or by phone through MARVIN (1-866-638-3993, Monday to Friday 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.) in your assigned reporting week. Since July 19, 2026, at least 3 unique work search activities per week claimed, reported when you certify (previously 1); unless you have a waiver.
  4. Line up other help. Michigan SNAP income limits, Michigan health coverage, Michigan take-home pay calculator.

Michigan unemployment at a glance

Agency
Michigan Unemployment Insurance Agency (Dept. of Labor and Economic Opportunity) (UIA)
Weekly benefit
up to $530 (table in force from January 1, 2026)
Most weeks
26 — Between 14 and 26 weeks: base-period wages times 43%, divided by your weekly benefit rate, rounded down to the nearest half week. 26 weeks applies to claims filed on or after April 2, 2025.
Waiting week
There is no unpaid waiting week, but UIA cannot issue the first payment until 10 days after the Monetary Determination is issued (a first-payment review hold).
Appeal deadline
A protest of a Determination, and an appeal of a Redetermination, must each be received by UIA within 30 days of the mail date; late filings need an explanation.
Spanish / Chinese help
UIA language assistance page lists Spanish, Arabic, Albanian, Bengali and Simplified Chinese (https://www.michigan.gov/leo/bureaus-agencies/uia/language-assistance); Fact Sheet 160 is available in Spanish and Chinese; free interpreter help at 1-866-500-0017.

How much you could get

The 2026 maximum weekly benefit rate is $530 (up from $446 in 2025). It rises to $614 on Jan. 1, 2027, and the dependent allowance (up to five dependents) is $19.99 now and $26 in 2027. How it is figured: 4.1% of your highest base-period quarterly wages, up to the maximum.

At the top of the table — $530 a week for 26 weeks — the most a claim can pay is $13,780. 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 four of the last five completed calendar quarters before you file. Alternate base period: the four most recently completed quarters. If neither works, the Alternate Earnings Qualifier uses total wages of at least 20 times the state average weekly wage ($26,677.60 for 2026).
  • Work and wages. For benefit years beginning Jan. 1, 2026: wages in at least two quarters, at least $5,328 in one quarter, and total base-period wages of at least 1.5 times your highest quarter.
  • If you quit. A quit is investigated for good cause; if disqualified you must earn 12 times your weekly benefit rate to qualify again. Leaving a job due to domestic violence can qualify since July 17, 2026.
  • If you were fired. A firing is investigated; if you are disqualified you must earn 17 times your weekly benefit rate to qualify again.
  • Part-time, gig and self-employed work. Working less than full time reduces your weekly benefit by 50 cents for each $1 you earn. Your benefit plus earnings cannot exceed 1.5 times your weekly benefit rate (benefits drop $1 for each $1 over), so you get no benefit once earnings reach that level. 1099 and self-employment income do not count as wages to qualify, but must be reported as earnings (for example Uber or DoorDash).

Weekly certification, taxes and appeals

How to file
File online 24/7 through your MiWAM account (sign in with MiLogin) or by phone at 1-866-500-0017. You can also schedule an appointment with UIA (in person, phone or virtual); you also must register at MiTalent.org and meet with Michigan Works! before your first certification.
Weekly certification
Certify every two weeks online in MiWAM (24/7) or by phone through MARVIN (1-866-638-3993, Monday to Friday 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.) in your assigned reporting week.
Work search
Since July 19, 2026, at least 3 unique work search activities per week claimed, reported when you certify (previously 1); unless you have a waiver.
Taxes
Benefits are taxable by the federal and Michigan governments; you can have 10% federal and 4.25% state withheld, but both or neither.
State withholding
optional, 4.25% (only together with federal withholding)
If you are denied
Protest: UIA (MiWAM, fax 1-517-636-0427, or P.O. Box 169, Grand Rapids, MI 49501-0169). Appeal of a Redetermination: heard by an administrative law judge at MOAHR (MiWAM, fax 1-616-356-0739, or UIA P.O. Box 124, Grand Rapids, MI 49501-0124). Keep certifying every week while the appeal is pending.
Overpayments
Improperly paid benefits must be repaid; UIA can take 50% of later weekly benefits (100% if fraud) and intercept lottery winnings over $1,000, and since July 17, 2026 you can request a financial hardship waiver up to four times a year.

Good to know in Michigan

  • Minimum weekly benefit rate not published on the pages reviewed (weeklyMin null).
  • One UIA page lists a $19.33 dependent allowance; the UIA Law Changes page says $19.99 for 2026.
  • Wage-requirement thresholds are indexed yearly; $5,328 applies to benefit years beginning Jan. 1, 2026 (another UIA page showed $5,157 for claims after Feb. 21, 2026, which could not be reconciled).
  • UIA is replacing MiWAM with a new platform called MiUI on Nov. 9, 2026. Most UIA services, including MiWAM, are unavailable from 4:30 p.m. Monday, Nov. 2, 2026 until Nov. 9, when local offices and phones reopen.
  • From Nov. 9, 2026 you certify and are paid every week, MARVIN phone certification ends, and you cannot file a claim over the phone; plan to use a smartphone, tablet or computer.

Sources

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