Michigan Unemployment Calculator

Calculate your projected benefit by filling quarterly wages earned below:

We created this calculator to aid you evaluate what you might obtain if you are entitled. We make no promises that the sum you receive will be equal to what the calculator illustrates.

Recent Questions

To apply for Michigan unemployment benefits click here

The most recent figures for Michigan show an unemployment rate of 4.5%.

Non-Monetary Eligibility Requirements

You can collect benefits if you meet a series of legal eligibility requirements:

Have earned qualifying wages
Are unemployed through no fault of their own,
Are able and obtainable to work full-time and
Are keenly looking for full-time work

In addition to having adequate earnings, you must meet other eligibility benefits to be entitled for UI benefits. Some instances of issues that may influence eligibility for UI benefits comprise:

Reason for job separation
Proper weekly claim filing
School attendance
Self employment or corporate offices
Strike or labor disputes
Denial of a job offer
Alien status
School employee
Illness or injury
Professional athlete

More details on UI eligibility can be found in the unemployment eligibility article.

Monetary Eligibility Requirements

One quarter in your base period must have wages of at least $1,998; and
total wages for all four quarters must equal at least one and a half times the highest amount of wages paid in any quarter of the base period.

For more information on Base Period and monetary determination refer unemployment eligibility article.

How long will I receive benefits:

Usually, most states permit an individual to obtain unemployment for a maximum of 26 weeks, or half the benefit the benefit year. A few states have standardized benefit duration, while most have different durations depending upon the worker. In a state with varied duration, it is probable that the benefit year may include less than 26 payable weeks.

The calculation is normally which us smaller: 26xWBA or 1/3 BPW. WBA is the Weekly Benefit Amount, so 26xWBA would be the regular week program. 1/3 BPW refers to the Base Period Wages, so if a person did not succeed to earn more than 3 times the standard benefit amount, they will be suitable for fewer weeks of coverage.

How much weekly benefit will I receive:

You can guess your Potential Benefits Online. Your weekly benefit amount and the number of weeks of entitlement to benefits are based on the wages you were paid and amount of time you worked during your base period. The weekly benefit amount is calculated by dividing the sum of the wages earned during the highest quarter of the base period by 26, rounded down to the next lower whole dollar. The result cannot exceed the utmost weekly benefit permitted by rule.

The base period is the term used to describe the time frame used as the basis for deciding whether or not you will be monetarily eligible for unemployment.

How are Benefits Calculated:

Once you make out how the unemployment are calculated, you will have a fair idea of how much you could receive per week or per benefit period if you were to lose your job. This is significant when you think taking unemployment or searching another job.

Unemployment is computed and one half of what your weekly pay was at the time of the discharge up to your state's maximum benefit. You will have to verify with your state's unemployment office to see what the highest payout for your state is. For further details refer unemployment benefits article.

Recently Asked Questions:

As the owner of a corporation, am I liable under the Michigan Employment Security (MES) Act?
Yes. You are an employee of the corporation and assuming all other requirements are met, the corporation is liable.

What is the tax rate and tax base for new employers in Michigan?
The tax rate for all new employers except certain construction companies involved in large projects is 2.7%. That rate is paid on the first $9,000 of wages during the calendar year for each employee.

If I have a positive balance in my reserve account, can that money be refunded to me?
No. The unemployment taxes paid are like automobile insurance premiums. They are used to protect your employees against them becoming unemployed through no fault of their own. Likewise, if an employer terminates his/her business with a negative balance in the reserve account, he/she is not billed for the balance.

How is an employer's tax rate determined?
There are three separate components that determine a fully experienced employer's tax rate. (A fully experienced employer is an employer who is in his/her fifth year or more of business.)

The Chargeable Benefit Component (CBC) is made up of the total unemployment charges against the employer for the most recent 5 years.
The Account Building Component (ABC) is a reserve account for possible payment of future benefits. The amount required in this component is based on the payroll for the most recent year.
The Non-Chargeable Benefits Component (NBC) is used to pay benefits that cannot be charged to a specific employer's account.

All of these components are taken into consideration when determining an employer's tax rate. The maximum computed tax rate for 2003 for a fully experienced employer is 10.3%. The lowest computed tax rate is .06%. This does not include any penalties for missing reports which could add up to another 3%.

Why can a fired worker still collect unemployment benefits?

A worker is disqualified from receiving unemployment benefits if he or she is fired for misconduct in connection with the work. If a worker is fired for incompetence or inability, rather than for willful misconduct, the worker will not be denied unemployment benefits.

Even if a worker is fired for misconduct and disqualified from drawing unemployment benefits, he or she may requalify for benefits by going back to work and earning a certain required amount. The worker will then be able to collect benefits, but the UIA account of the employer involved in the firing will not be charged for the benefits.

How do special payments (such as holiday and vacation pay) affect a worker's entitlement to UI benefits and are the payments taxable to the employer for UI tax purposes?

If vacation pay and holiday pay vest within 14 days of the vacation or holiday, and if such pay is allocated by the employer to a specific week or weeks, it will be used for credit week and average weekly wage purposes for that week or those weeks, and will be taxable to the employer. It will also be used to reduce the worker's unemployment benefits for that week or those weeks. However, the employer cannot assign the payments to particular weeks if the employment contract prevents the employer from doing so.

Severance pay and wage continuation pay are taxable to the employer but will not be used as base period wages to establish a claim. Severance pay will reduce a worker's entitlement to unemployment benefits during the week(s) designated by the employer or during the week(s) paid if not allocated to a specific period by the employer.

Sick pay paid due to actual illness, and paid under an employer plan, will not be taxable to the employer, and will not be counted as part of a worker's average weekly wage nor used to establish a credit week.

Can a temporary or probationary employee receive unemployment benefits?
Wages paid to a temporary or probationary employee can be used to establish a claim for unemployment benefits. To set up a claim for unemployment benefits, a worker generally needs to be paid sufficient wages in the first four of the last five completed calendar quarters. The first four of the last five completed calendar quarters is called the Standard Base Period. During the base period, the person must have been paid wages in more than one quarter. In addition, the person needs to have high quarter wages of at least:

$1,998 for benefit years beginning prior to 4/1/2007
$2,697 for benefit years beginning 4/1/2007 through 1/5/2008
$2,774 bor benefit years beginning 1/6/2008 through 1/3/2009
$2,871 for benefit years beginning on or after 1/4/2009

The applicant's total base period wages must equal at least 1.5 times the high quarter wages. If the employee was not paid enough wages in the Standard Base period, wages can be used from the Alternate Base Period, which is the last four completed calendar quarters.

If a business employs a temporary or probationary employee during the base period and the worker is paid sufficient wages by one or more other employers, the worker could set up a claim for unemployment benefits and the employer who provided the temporary or probationary work could be one of the chargeable employers on that claim.

Do I need a UIA tax clearance when purchasing an existing business?
If you purchase or acquire an existing business that is liable for unemployment taxes, the purchaser can be liable for tax debts incurred by the previous owner. The seller should request the tax clearance prior to the sale. The seller should contact Collections to obtain this.

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