Connecticut Unemployment Calculator: $721 Max + Dependents

Select the worker classification before calculating

Connecticut has two wage formulas. For an ordinary worker, average the two highest base-period quarters, then divide by 26 and round down to a whole dollar. That is equivalent to adding the two quarters and dividing by 52. A quarter with confirmed zero earnings stays in the calculation if it is the second highest.

For an agency-classified construction worker, divide the highest quarter alone by 26 and round down. CTDOL identifies this classification using employer-reported National Council on Compensation Insurance codes. A job title or occasional construction assignment does not establish the classification, so the worksheet requires an explicit selection.

The current 2026 base rate has a $44 minimum and a $721 maximum. The agency's 2026 notice confirms both figures; the maximum is subject to a statutory freeze. This calculator supports January 1 through December 31, 2026. It does not assume the same minimum for a later year or model the special minimum that can apply during a fully federally funded supplemental-benefit program.

The forty-times wage test applies after the formula

Total covered base-period earnings must equal at least 40 times the base weekly rate. At the $44 minimum, that means at least $1,760. Higher weekly rates create a higher earnings requirement. The calculator applies that test separately from the weekly formula.

Suppose your quarters are $4,000, $3,908, zero and zero. The ordinary formula gives $152, and $7,908 of total earnings exceeds the $6,080 requirement. The construction formula gives $153 with a $6,120 requirement, which also passes for that record.

A single $4,000 quarter illustrates a more significant difference. The ordinary formula averages it with a zero quarter and gives $76; the $3,040 total-wage requirement is met. The construction formula initially produces $153 but requires $6,120 of wages, so that same single-quarter record fails its monetary test. A higher formula result alone does not establish qualification.

Enter covered wages actually paid in the agency-selected base period. The ordinary base period is the four completed quarters that precede the most recent one; alternative or special base periods require CTDOL review. Blank wage fields remain unknown, and confirmed zeroes should be entered as zero.

Keep dependent allowances separate from the base account

Connecticut allows $15 per approved dependent, for up to five dependents, with the total supplement limited to the base weekly rate. Eligible relationships and support requirements are decided by CTDOL. Enter the approved count, including zero if none; a blank count leaves the supplement unknown while the base calculation can still run.

With a $152 base rate and two approved dependents, the separate weekly allowance is $30. At the $44 minimum and five approved dependents, the allowance is limited to $44. At the $721 maximum, five approved dependents can add $75, making $796 for a fully payable week before withholding.

Section 31-234 expressly separates these allowances from the base benefit rate. The worksheet therefore labels its balance, modeled total and withholding result as base-only amounts. It does not assume that dependency eligibility stays unchanged for every future week, and it does not deduct supplements from the base account.

Model the 26-week base balance

Regular base benefits are limited to 26 times the weekly base rate. The $152 ordinary example produces a $3,952 base balance; ten fully payable weeks model $1,520. The $721 maximum produces an $18,746 base balance, excluding dependent supplements.

Partial unemployment or pension reductions can spread a balance across more calendar weeks. This worksheet models full base-rate weeks and does not calculate those reductions. It also does not decide separation eligibility, work-search compliance, availability, prior-year requalification, extensions or benefit timing.

Optional withholding uses only the percentage you supply and applies it to the base estimate. It is not an income-tax calculation. If your determination differs, check the wage quarters and worker classification with CTDOL. The agency-award worksheet lets you budget directly from the notice.

Connecticut sources and verification

• CTDOL 2026 notice: $44 minimum, $1,760 minimum earnings and $721 maximum
• CTDOL claimant guide, Appendix C: ordinary and construction examples
• Connecticut General Statutes §§31-231a, 31-231b, 31-234 and 31-235: formulas, balance, dependents and wage eligibility
• 2026 statutory supplement

Verified October 1, 2026. See methodology and calculation sources.

Supported claim periods and annual handoff

The Connecticut wage-estimate calendar supports 2026-01-01 to 2026-12-31. Source dates describe when evidence was checked; they do not create a legal expiration. A blank claim date uses the current local date. After a finite schedule ends, the form shows an explicit official-award worksheet. Enter the weekly award, maximum account and authorized weeks from the determination. An unverified successor rate is never copied from the previous annual table.