Arkansas Unemployment Calculator
Your base period is determined by the date your claim begins.
Your Estimated Benefits
What Is the Arkansas Unemployment Calculator?
The Arkansas Unemployment Calculator is an interactive web tool designed to estimate your unemployment benefits using your wage history and claim start date.
Key Features:
- Estimates Weekly Benefit Amount (WBA)
- Calculates Maximum Benefit Amount (MBA)
- Shows the number of eligible weeks
- Uses both Standard and Alternate Base Periods
- Completely anonymous—no personal data stored
How It Works (in Plain English)
When you file for unemployment in Arkansas, your benefits are based on how much you earned in the past year. But here’s the catch: the state doesn’t use the most recent months to calculate your benefits. Instead, it looks at a specific 12-month window called your base period.
What’s a Base Period?
Your base period is usually the first four of the last five completed calendar quarters before your claim starts. That’s called the Standard Base Period. If you don’t qualify under that, the system checks the Alternate Base Period (the last four quarters before your claim).
The calculator automatically picks the right one and updates wage input labels for each quarter.
What You’ll Need to Use the Calculator
To get your estimate, just plug in:
- Your claim start date
(Usually the week you lost your job) - Your gross wages (before taxes) for:
- Quarter 1
- Quarter 2
- Quarter 3
- Quarter 4
Each quarter is labeled automatically based on your start date, so you don't have to guess which months go where.
Step-by-Step: How to Use the Calculator
- Select your claim start date
The calculator will update your base period automatically. - Enter your wages for each quarter
If you don’t know the exact amount, use your best estimate. - Click “Calculate Estimate”
- Review your results, which include:
- Estimated Weekly Benefit
- Estimated Total Benefit Amount
- Number of eligible weeks
- The base period used (Standard or Alternate)
- If you’re not eligible based on the Standard period, it may ask for an additional quarter of wages to check Alternate eligibility.
- Click “Reset” to start over anytime.
How Your Benefits Are Calculated
Here's a simplified breakdown of the math behind the calculator:
- Your Weekly Benefit Amount (WBA) is 1/26th of the average of your two highest-paid quarters, rounded to the nearest dollar.
- Your Maximum Benefit Amount (MBA) is either:
- 20 times your WBA
- Or one-third of your total wages during the base period
(Whichever is less)
- You can receive benefits for up to 16 weeks in Arkansas (as of recent guidelines), depending on your wages.
Minimum WBA: $81
Maximum WBA: $451
Important Disclaimer
The calculator provides only an estimate.
Your actual unemployment benefits will be determined by the Arkansas Division of Workforce Services (DWS) after you file a claim.
The results can vary depending on:
- Wage verification by employers
- Any disqualifying factors
- Overpayments or fraud holds
- Extended benefits during high unemployment
Why Use This Calculator?
Besides giving you peace of mind, the calculator helps you:
- Plan your budget while you’re unemployed
- Decide when to file your claim
- Understand whether you’re eligible or not
- Avoid surprises from the state’s determination
It’s also mobile-friendly and takes less than a minute to use.
Is My Information Saved?
Nope. The calculator does not store or send any of your data. Everything runs in your browser, so your privacy is safe.
Pro Tips Before You File
- Gather your pay stubs or W-2s
- Double-check your start and end dates of employment
- File your claim as soon as you're unemployed
- Keep a log of all your job search efforts
(Arkansas requires proof if requested)
Try the Calculator Now
Use the calculator embedded below to estimate your benefits in real time. It’s fast, free, and 100% Arkansas-specific.
