Hawaii Unemployment Insurance

Hawaii Unemployment Insurance (UI) offers temporary financial assistance to Hawaiian workers who become unemployed through no fault of their own.

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 Hawaii Department of Labor and Industrial Relations, in order to be eligible for unemployment benefits, you must have earned a minimum amount of wages in a recent ‘base period ’ and must have:

1. wages in at least two quarters in the first four calendar quarters out of the last five completed calendar quarters (base period), and
2. total base-period wages of at least 26 times your Weekly Benefit Amount (WBA).¹

For example, if your calculated WBA is $200, your total base-period wages must be at least $5,200 (26 × $200), and with wages in at least two quarters during the base period.

How much unemployment benefits can I get in Hawaii?

Depending on how much you have earned in your base period, you may receive up to $868 per week for a maximum of 26 weeks of unemployment benefits per year. Your weekly benefit amount is your highest quarterly earnings in the base period divided by 21.¹

When do unemployment benefits run out in Hawaii?

Benefits end after 26 weeks of payments or at the close of the benefit year, whichever comes first. Extended benefits may add weeks only during periods of high unemployment.

How do I file my weekly unemployment claim in Hawaii?

Effective October 1, 2014, Hawaii’s telephone claim filing will no longer be available. All claims must be filed online at https://huiclaims.hawaii.gov .

Hawaii requires claimants to register with HireNet Hawaii , post an online resume, and make at least three job contacts each week.

Hawaii Department of Labor and Industrial Relations
Unemployment Insurance Division
(808) 762-5752