Arizona Unemployment Insurance

Arizona Unemployment Insurance provides temporary financial assistance to workers unemployed through no fault of their own that meet the eligibility criteria.

Each state sets its own guidelines for eligibility for UI benefits, but you usually qualify if you:

1. have lost a job through no fault of your own;
2. are unemployed or partially unemployed for reasons permissible under federal law;
3. are “able to work, available to work, and actively seeking work;” and
4. have earned at least a certain amount of money during a “base period” prior to becoming unemployed. In most states, this is usually the first 4 out of the last 5 completed calendar quarters prior to the time that your claim is filed.

According to the Arizona Department of Economic Security, you must have worked for an employer who paid unemployment taxes and earned a minimum amount of wages in a recent ‘base period’, meeting one of the following requirements:¹

1. at least 390 times the Arizona minimum wage during the highest paid quarter of the base period, with the combined total of the other three quarters being at least half of that amount.

   For example, if you earned $6,000 in your highest quarter, you need at least $3,000 combined in the other three quarters.

2. or, a total of at least $8,000 in two or more quarters of the base period, with at least one quarter having $7,987.50 or more.

Those who file for a new claim may be entitled to up to 24 weeks of benefits and are required by the state law to register for work at Arizona Job Connection .

How much is unemployment insurance in AZ?

Beginning July 1, 2025, all claimants will be eligible to receive a weekly benefit amount of between $236 and $320 based on the wages they earned when they were working.

How many weeks of unemployment can I get in Arizona?

Arizona provides up to 24 weeks of benefits per claim. Payments end once the maximum number of weeks has been paid or the benefit year expires, after which further benefits require a new claim and a new determination of eligibility.

How do I file unemployment claim in Arizona?

In Arizona, there are no physical offices where you can walk in and apply for unemployment benefits. Filing for initial or weekly claims can only be made online through the new CACTUS portal  or by phone at (877) 600-2722.

Arizona Department of Economic Security
Unemployment Insurance Benefits
(877) 600-2722