Maine Unemployment Insurance

Maine Unemployment Insurance (UI) provides temporary weekly financial assistance to eligible workers who lose their jobs 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 Maine Department of Labor, for new claims filed between June 1, 2026 and May 31, 2027, 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

1. at least $7,494.72 in total wages during the base period (the oldest 4 quarters of the last 5 completed quarters), and
2. at least $2,498 in 2 of the last four quarters.

If your total base-period wages were $7,500, but only one quarter had $2,500 or more in earnings, you would not qualify since Maine requires at least $2,498 to be earned in two separate quarters.

How much unemployment benefits can I get in Maine?

Depending on how much you have earned in your base period, you may receive up to $649 per week for a maximum of 26 weeks of unemployment benefits per year.

In addition, you can receive an additional $25 per week per dependent, capped at 75% of your weekly benefit amount, according to Maine law.²

What is the maximum duration of unemployment benefits in Maine?

The maximum duration in Maine is 26 weeks per benefit year. Additional weeks are available only when extended benefits are triggered by a high state unemployment rate.

How do I file my weekly unemployment claim in Maine?

To file a new claim or a weekly claim, visit Maine’s unemployment portal . If you prefer to file by phone, contact the Maine Unemployment Claims Center at (800) 593-7660.

Maine Department of Labor
Unemployment Claims Center
(800) 593-7660