New Hampshire Unemployment Benefits 2026: Amount, Eligibility & How to Apply
Laid off in New Hampshire? What the state pays, who qualifies, how to file with the NHES, and what to do if you're denied. Benefit amounts, deadlines, and eligibility rules on this page are verified against official NHES sources.
Last verified Sep 8, 2026
How much is New Hampshire unemployment, and how do you file?
New Hampshire pays $32 to $427 per week for up to 26 weeks in a benefit year, based on what you earned in your base period — not on what you were earning the day you were laid off. NHES does not apply a percentage on your best quarter. It looks up your total base-period wages on the statutory benefit table in RSA 282-A:25, which works out to roughly 1 to 1.1 percent of your annual base-period earnings per week, bounded by the state minimum and maximum.
File online with the NHES as soon as you have worked your last day. There is a waiting week, so the first week you claim is not the first week you are paid. Expect a monetary determination within about two to five business days, and your first payment roughly two to three weeks after filing — the delay includes the mandatory unpaid waiting week. Separation issues or severance allocation will push it out further.
- Estimated time
- 20–40 minutes to file
- Weekly benefit
- $32 to $427 per week
- What you need
- ID, last employer's details, work dates, bank details
File your New Hampshire claim
Apply through the official NHES system — filing anywhere else is either a copy of the same form or a scam. Generally file in the state where you performed the work. If you worked across state lines or recently moved, interstate or combined-wage options may apply.
- NHES claimant assistance line
- 603-271-7700
- When to file
- File in the same week you lose the job or your hours are cut. Do not hold the claim until severance ends or until your separation letter arrives — file, then report the payments and supply documents as NHES asks.
Quick facts: New Hampshire unemployment benefits (2026)
Structured reference fields. Amounts and exact rules change over time and vary by your situation — every sourced row links to the official NHES page it was read from.
New Hampshire Employment Security (NHES)
$427 per week maximum (range $32–$427, effective Jan 1, 2026), based on your base-period wages.
Verified Sep 8, 2026 · verify with NHESUp to 26 weeks — New Hampshire pays a uniform 26 weeks, so there is no percentage-of-wages cap that shortens your claim the way it does in most states
Verified Sep 8, 2026 · verify with NHESNew Hampshire holds one waiting week — the first week of your benefit year is served unpaid, so your first actual payment covers your second week of unemployment
Verified Sep 8, 2026 · verify with NHESWeekly. You file a continued claim each week you want to be paid, including the waiting week. New Hampshire weeks start Sunday at 12:01 a.m. and end Saturday at midnight, so you file after the week closes. Each continued claim asks about your work-search activity, any money you earned, and any job offers you received and refused.
Verified Sep 8, 2026 · verify with NHESYes. You must conduct a weekly work search using the methods customary to your occupation, take part in reemployment activities that prepare you to return to work, and register with the NHWorks Job Match System.
Verified Sep 8, 2026 · verify with NHES14 days from the mail date of the determination
Verified Sep 8, 2026 · verify with NHESUnemployment benefits are taxable income for federal purposes. New Hampshire has no income tax on wages or unemployment benefits — the state's interest and dividends tax was repealed and does not reach benefit payments either. Federal withholding is voluntary: elect it in the claimant portal and 10 percent of each payment is withheld. NHES issues Form 1099-G each January.
Verified Sep 8, 2026 · verify with NHESUnder RSA 275:44, if you are laid off your employer must pay all wages earned by the next regular payday. If you are discharged rather than laid off, the wages are due in full within 72 hours.
Verified Sep 8, 2026 · verify with NHESNew Hampshire does not require vacation or PTO payout by statute, but RSA 275:49 requires employers to have a written policy on vacation, sick, and other fringe benefits — and where that policy or practice promises payment at separation, the NH Department of Labor treats the unused time as wages the employer must pay.
Verified Sep 8, 2026 · verify with NHESNew Hampshire has no state mini-WARN law. Only the federal WARN Act applies, which generally requires 60 days' written notice of a plant closing or mass layoff at employers with 100 or more employees.
Verified Sep 8, 2026 · verify with NHESSep 8, 2026
Who qualifies for unemployment in New Hampshire?
New Hampshire tests your wages, your reason for leaving, and your weekly availability as three separate questions. A layoff settles the second. What trips people up here is the two-quarter wage rule and the weekly work-search reporting, which NHES asks about on every continued claim.
1. You earned enough during the base period
To qualify on wages, both of the following must be true:
- You earned at least $2,800 in total base-period wages from employers covered by New Hampshire unemployment insurance.
- You earned at least $1,400 in each of two different quarters of the base period.
- Wages concentrated in a single quarter will not qualify you, no matter how large that quarter was.
- If the standard base period falls short, NHES checks the alternate base period before denying the claim.
What is the "base period"?
Your base period is the first four of the last five completed calendar quarters before the effective date of your claim.
In plain terms: NHES leaves out the quarter you are in and the quarter before it, then uses the four quarters before that. A claim filed in September 2026 is built on wages from April 2025 through March 2026. Because New Hampshire calculates your weekly amount from annual base-period wages rather than a single high quarter, an uneven year hurts less here than in high-quarter states — but very recent earnings still may not count.
Alternate base period
Yes. If you do not qualify on the standard base period, NHES can use the alternate base period — the four most recently completed calendar quarters — which brings your most recent work into the calculation. Because the newest quarter may not be reported by your employer yet, expect to provide pay stubs or wage records.
2. You lost the job through no fault of your own
You must be unemployed through no fault of your own — a layoff, a reduction in force, or a cut in hours for lack of work. Being discharged for misconduct connected with the work, or quitting without good cause attributable to the employer, disqualifies you until you earn new wages and requalify.
A layoff, a position elimination, and a reduction in force all sit squarely inside this test. If your employer contests the claim and calls it something else, that dispute is decided in the appeal process below — not by whichever word appears on your separation paperwork. The distinction matters enough to be worth understanding before the hearing: laid off vs fired, and why the label changes your claim.
3. You are able to work and available for work
In each week you claim, you must be able to work, available for work, and actively seeking it, with no obligation that keeps you from accepting suitable full-time work. Every continued claim asks you to confirm your work search, report your earnings, and disclose any job offer you refused.
How much will you get? Amounts and duration
New Hampshire does not pay a flat rate. Your weekly amount comes out of a formula applied to your base-period wages, then it is capped.
Weekly minimum
$32
Weekly maximum
$427
as of Jan 1, 2026
Maximum duration
26 weeks
How your weekly amount is calculated
NHES does not apply a percentage on your best quarter. It looks up your total base-period wages on the statutory benefit table in RSA 282-A:25, which works out to roughly 1 to 1.1 percent of your annual base-period earnings per week, bounded by the state minimum and maximum.
New Hampshire pays a uniform 26 weeks. Your maximum benefit amount for the benefit year is 26 times your weekly benefit amount, and there is no separate fraction-of-wages cap that cuts the number of weeks short — so unlike most states, qualifying at all generally means qualifying for the full 26 weeks.
Worked example
If your total base-period wages were $30,000, the statutory table puts you at roughly 1 percent of that per week — about $300. Because New Hampshire's duration is a flat 26 weeks with no fraction-of-wages cap, your maximum benefit amount is simply 26 × $300 = $7,800, and you can draw all 26 weeks so long as you stay eligible each week.
New Hampshire unemployment estimator
Rough estimate only. It applies the state's published formula, minimum and maximum to the wages you enter; the state agency's monetary determination sets your actual amount.
Only the states with a dependents allowance use this, and each defines a dependent narrowly (usually a child you mainly support, sometimes a non-working spouse) — not every household member. New Hampshire pays no dependents allowance.
Alabama (ADOL): $45 to $275 a week, for up to 14 weeks. Formula: 1/26 of the average of the two highest base-period quarters. Waiting week: yes. Part-time earnings: 1/3 of WBA disregarded, then $ for $.
Alaska (AK DOLWD): $56 to $370 a week, up to $442 with dependents, for up to 26 weeks. Formula: Table: roughly 0.9%-2.2% of total base-period wages (statutory schedule), plus $24 per dependent (up to 3). Waiting week: yes. Part-time earnings: $50 plus 25% of wages over $50 disregarded. Current indexed amount unconfirmed — verify before you rely on any figure.
Arizona (AZ DES): $229 to $320 a week, for up to 24 weeks. Formula: 1/25 of high-quarter wages. Waiting week: yes. Part-time earnings: $160.49 disregarded (2026), then $ for $.
Arkansas (ADWS): $81 to $451 a week, for up to 12 weeks. Formula: 1/26 of the average of the four base-period quarters (i.e., ~1/104 of BPW). Waiting week: yes. Part-time earnings: 40% of WBA disregarded, then $ for $.
California (EDD): $40 to $450 a week, for up to 26 weeks. Formula: Statutory table: approximately 1/23 to 1/26 of high-quarter wages (sliding). Waiting week: yes. Part-time earnings: Greater of $25 or 25% of wages disregarded, then $ for $.
Colorado (CDLE): $25 to $804 a week, for up to 26 weeks. Formula: Higher of (a) 60% of 1/26 of wages in the two highest consecutive quarters (capped at 50% of state AWW) or (b) 50% of 1/52 of BPW (capped at 55% of state AWW). Waiting week: yes. Part-time earnings: 50% of WBA disregarded, then $ for $ (Colorado 2024 law: 50% of WBA).
Connecticut (CT DOL): $44 to $721 a week, up to $796 with dependents, for up to 26 weeks. Formula: 1/26 of the average of the two highest quarters, plus $15 per dependent (up to 5, capped at 75% of WBA). Waiting week: no. Part-time earnings: 1/3 of gross wages disregarded, then $ for $ (2024 change; includes holiday pay).
Delaware (DE DOL): $20 to $450 a week, for up to 26 weeks. Formula: 1/46 of total wages in the two highest quarters. Waiting week: no. Part-time earnings: Greater of $10 or 50% of WBA disregarded, then $ for $.
District of Columbia (DOES): $50 to $444 a week, for up to 26 weeks. Formula: 1/26 of high-quarter wages. Waiting week: yes. Part-time earnings: 1/3 of wages plus $50 disregarded, then $ for $.
Florida (FloridaCommerce): $32 to $275 a week, for up to 12 weeks. Formula: 1/26 of high-quarter wages. Waiting week: yes. Part-time earnings: 8 x federal minimum wage ($58) disregarded, then $ for $.
Georgia (GDOL): $55 to $365 a week, for up to 14 weeks. Formula: Sum of the two highest base-period quarters divided by 42; the statutory alternate (highest quarter / 21) applies only when the regular monetary test fails. Waiting week: no. Part-time earnings: $50 disregarded, then $ for $ (excludes jury pay).
Hawaii (DLIR): $5 to $868 a week, for up to 26 weeks. Formula: 1/21 of high-quarter wages. Waiting week: yes. Part-time earnings: $150 disregarded, then $ for $.
Idaho (IDOL): $72 to $624 a week, for up to 21 weeks. Formula: 1/26 of high-quarter wages. Waiting week: yes. Part-time earnings: 50% of WBA disregarded, then $ for $.
Illinois (IDES): $51 to $628 a week, up to $859 with dependents, for up to 26 weeks. Formula: 47% of the claimant's average weekly wage in the two highest quarters (= 0.47 x sum of 2 HQ / 26); plus 9% for a nonworking spouse or 17.3% for dependent child (of prior-2-HQ AWW). Waiting week: yes. Part-time earnings: 50% of WBA disregarded, then $ for $.
Indiana (IN DWD): $37 to $390 a week, for up to 26 weeks. Formula: 47% of average weekly wage in the base period (BPW/52 x 0.47). Waiting week: yes. Part-time earnings: Flat $100 disregarded, then $ for $.
Iowa (IWD): $96 to $644 a week, up to $790 with dependents, for up to 16 weeks. Formula: 1/23 of high-quarter wages (0 dependents); 1/22 (1), 1/21 (2), 1/20 (3), 1/19 (4+); caps = 53%-65% of state AWW. Waiting week: no. Part-time earnings: 25% of WBA disregarded, then $ for $ (excludes jury pay).
Kansas (KDOL): $165 to $663 a week, for up to 16 weeks. Formula: 4.25% of high-quarter wages. Waiting week: yes. Part-time earnings: 25% of WBA disregarded, then $ for $.
Kentucky (KCC): $39 to $746 a week, for up to 16 weeks. Formula: 1.1923% of total base-period wages. Waiting week: yes. Part-time earnings: 20% of wages disregarded, then $ for $.
Louisiana (LWC): $35 to $282 a week, for up to 12 weeks. Formula: 1/25 of the average of the four base-period quarters, capped. Waiting week: yes. Part-time earnings: Lesser of 50% of WBA or $50 disregarded, then $ for $. Current indexed amount unconfirmed — verify before you rely on any figure.
Maine (MDOL): $108 to $623 a week, up to $1,090 with dependents, for up to 26 weeks. Formula: 1/22 of the average of the two highest quarters, plus $25 per dependent (capped at 75% of WBA). Waiting week: yes. Part-time earnings: First $123 disregarded, then $ for $ (as of June 1, 2025). Current indexed amount unconfirmed — verify before you rely on any figure.
Maryland (MD DOL): $50 to $430 a week, for up to 26 weeks. Formula: Statutory table ~1/24 of high-quarter wages, plus $8 per dependent (up to 5) not to exceed the max. Waiting week: no. Part-time earnings: $50 disregarded, then $ for $.
Massachusetts (DUA): $60 to $1,105 a week, up to $1,657 with dependents, for up to 30 weeks. Formula: 50% of average weekly wage (2 highest quarters / 26, or HQ/13 if wages in 2 or fewer quarters), plus $25 per dependent child (dependency allowance capped at 50% of WBA). Waiting week: yes. Part-time earnings: 1/3 of WBA disregarded, then $ for $.
Michigan (UIA): $218 to $530 a week, for up to 26 weeks. Formula: 4.1% of high-quarter wages, plus $19.33 per dependent (up to 5); rising to $614 max and $26/dependent on Jan 1, 2027 (PA 2024). Waiting week: no. Part-time earnings: WBA reduced 50 cents per $1 earned; wages plus benefits cannot exceed 1.5 x WBA.
Minnesota (DEED): $37 to $948 a week, for up to 26 weeks. Formula: Higher of 50% of average weekly wage in the base period (cap 66 2/3% of state AWW = $948) or 50% of average weekly wage in the high quarter (cap 43% of state AWW = $611). Waiting week: yes. Part-time earnings: WBA reduced 50 cents for each $1 earned (excludes jury/National Guard/volunteer firefighter pay).
Mississippi (MDES): $30 to $235 a week, for up to 26 weeks. Formula: 1/26 of high-quarter wages. Waiting week: yes. Part-time earnings: $40 disregarded, then $ for $.
Missouri (MO DES): $35 to $320 a week, for up to 20 weeks. Formula: 4% of the average of the two highest quarters. Waiting week: yes. Part-time earnings: Greater of 20% of WBA or $20 disregarded, then $ for $ (disregard excludes termination/severance pay).
Montana (MT DLI): $238 to $805 a week, for up to 24 weeks. Formula: 1% of total base-period wages, or 1.9% of wages in the two highest quarters, whichever is greater. Waiting week: yes. Part-time earnings: 25% of WBA disregarded, then $ for $. Current indexed amount unconfirmed — verify before you rely on any figure.
Nebraska (NDOL): $70 to $582 a week, for up to 26 weeks. Formula: 1/2 of average weekly wage in the high quarter (= HQ/26). Waiting week: yes. Part-time earnings: 25% of WBA disregarded, then $ for $.
Nevada (DETR): $16 to $631 a week, for up to 26 weeks. Formula: 1/25 of high-quarter wages (cap 50% of state AWW). Waiting week: yes. Part-time earnings: 1/3 of wages disregarded, then $ for $. Current indexed amount unconfirmed — verify before you rely on any figure.
New Hampshire (NHES): $32 to $427 a week, for up to 26 weeks. Formula: Statutory table: about 1%-1.1% of annual (base-period) wages. Waiting week: yes. Part-time earnings: 30% of WBA disregarded, then $ for $.
New Jersey (NJDOL): $186 to $905 a week, for up to 26 weeks. Formula: 60% of the claimant's average weekly wage, plus dependency allowance (7% for first dependent, 4% each for next two; max 15%), capped at 57% of state AWW. Waiting week: no. Part-time earnings: Greater of 20% of WBA or $5 disregarded, then $ for $.
New Mexico (NMDWS): $116 to $624 a week, up to $674 with dependents, for up to 26 weeks. Formula: 53.5% of the average weekly wage in the high quarter (0.535 x HQ/13), plus $25 per dependent child (up to 50% of WBA / max 2 per DOL range). Waiting week: yes. Part-time earnings: 20% of WBA disregarded, then $ for $ (excludes jury pay).
New York (NYSDOL): $140 to $869 a week, for up to 26 weeks. Formula: 1/26 of high-quarter wages (1/25 if high-quarter wages are $3,575 or less). Waiting week: yes. Part-time earnings: Hours-based: no reduction for up to 10 hours of work per week if earnings do not exceed the max WBA; benefits reduced in steps (75%/50%/25%) for 11-30 hours worked.
North Carolina (DES): $15 to $350 a week, for up to 12 weeks. Formula: Wages in the last two completed quarters of the base period divided by 52, capped at $350. Waiting week: yes. Part-time earnings: 20% of WBA disregarded, then $ for $.
North Dakota (JSND): $43 to $800 a week, for up to 26 weeks. Formula: 1/65 of the sum of the two highest quarters plus one-half of the third-highest quarter. Waiting week: yes. Part-time earnings: 60% of WBA disregarded, then $ for $. Current indexed amount unconfirmed — verify before you rely on any figure.
Ohio (ODJFS): $176 to $624 a week, up to $842 with dependents, for up to 26 weeks. Formula: 50% of average weekly wage, up to a maximum that depends on dependency class (A: 0 deps, B: 1-2, C: 3+). Waiting week: yes. Part-time earnings: 20% of WBA disregarded, then $ for $.
Oklahoma (OESC): $16 to $649 a week, for up to 16 weeks. Formula: 1/23 of high-quarter wages. Waiting week: yes. Part-time earnings: $100 disregarded, then $ for $.
Oregon (OED): $211 to $902 a week, for up to 26 weeks. Formula: 1.25% of total base-period wages (min 15% / max 64% of state AWW). Waiting week: yes. Part-time earnings: Greater of 1/3 of WBA or 10 x state minimum wage (~$163) disregarded, then $ for $.
Pennsylvania (PA L&I): $68 to $605 a week, up to $613 with dependents, for up to 26 weeks. Formula: Statutory rate table: approximately (4% of high-quarter wages + $2) x 0.98 (about 50% of full-time weekly wage), plus $5 for a dependent spouse or child and $3 for a second dependent (max $8). Waiting week: yes. Part-time earnings: Greater of $21 or 30% of WBA disregarded (partial benefit credit), then $ for $.
Rhode Island (RI DLT): $82 to $777 a week, up to $971 with dependents, for up to 26 weeks. Formula: 3.85% of the average of the two highest quarters (cap 57.5% of state AWW), plus greater of $15 or 5% of WBA per dependent (up to 5). Waiting week: yes. Part-time earnings: 50% of WBA disregarded, then $ for $.
South Carolina (SC DEW): $42 to $350 a week, for up to 20 weeks. Formula: 50% of the average weekly wage in the high quarter (= HQ/26), capped. Waiting week: yes. Part-time earnings: 25% of WBA disregarded, then $ for $.
South Dakota (SD DLR): $28 to $575 a week, for up to 26 weeks. Formula: 1/26 of high-quarter wages. Waiting week: yes. Part-time earnings: 1/4 of wages over $25 disregarded, then $ for $.
Tennessee (TDLWD): $55 to $325 a week, for up to 12 weeks. Formula: 1/26 of the average of the two highest quarters (statutory table), max $325. Waiting week: yes. Part-time earnings: Greater of $50 or 25% of WBA disregarded, then $ for $.
Texas (TWC): $75 to $605 a week, for up to 26 weeks. Formula: 1/25 of high-quarter wages (cap 47.6% of state AWW). Waiting week: yes. Part-time earnings: Greater of $5 or 25% of WBA disregarded, then $ for $.
Utah (UT DWS): $47 to $806 a week, for up to 26 weeks. Formula: 1/26 of high-quarter wages minus $5 (cap 62.5% of state AWW). Waiting week: yes. Part-time earnings: 30% of WBA disregarded, then $ for $.
Vermont (VDOL): $94 to $757 a week, for up to 26 weeks. Formula: Wages in the two highest quarters divided by 45 (cap 57% of state AWW). Waiting week: yes. Part-time earnings: 50% of gross wages disregarded, then $ for $. Current indexed amount unconfirmed — verify before you rely on any figure.
Virginia (VEC): $160 to $478 a week, for up to 26 weeks. Formula: Statutory table: approximately 1/50 of wages in the two highest quarters (max $478 requires $18,900.01 in two quarters). Waiting week: yes. Part-time earnings: $100 disregarded (2025 law), then $ for $.
Washington (ESD): $383 to $1,208 a week, for up to 26 weeks. Formula: 3.85% of the average of the two highest quarters (min 20% / max 63% of state AWW). Waiting week: yes. Part-time earnings: 1/4 of wages over $5 disregarded, then $ for $.
West Virginia (WorkForce WV): $24 to $662 a week, for up to 26 weeks. Formula: Wage-class table: 55% of 1/52 of the median wages in the worker's wage class (max frozen at $662 by 2024 legislation). Waiting week: yes. Part-time earnings: $60 disregarded, then $ for $.
Wisconsin (WI DWD): $54 to $370 a week, for up to 26 weeks. Formula: 4% of high-quarter wages (statutory max $370). Waiting week: yes. Part-time earnings: First $30 disregarded plus 33% of wages over $30; WBA reduced by 67% of earnings above $30.
Wyoming (WY DWS): $48 to $671 a week, for up to 26 weeks. Formula: 4% of high-quarter wages (cap 55% of state AWW). Waiting week: no. Part-time earnings: 50% of WBA disregarded, then $ for $.
This is a rough estimate: it applies New Hampshire's published formula, minimum and maximum from the same data as this page to the wages you enter, and the NHES monetary determination sets your actual amount. Comparing states, or laid off somewhere else? Open the full unemployment benefits estimator
Can you work part-time and get New Hampshire unemployment?
Cut hours are not the same as no job, and New Hampshire pays a reduced weekly amount while you work part time. The state's earnings allowance is one of the more generous in the country: 30 percent of your weekly benefit amount comes off the top before anything is deducted.
The earnings allowance, and the math above it
NHES disregards the first 30 percent of your weekly benefit amount, rounded to the nearest dollar, in wages and earnings each week. On a $300 weekly amount, that is $90 you can earn with no effect on the payment at all.
Take your gross earnings for the week, subtract 30 percent of your weekly benefit amount, and subtract what remains from your weekly benefit amount dollar for dollar. Once your earnings reach your weekly benefit amount plus that 30 percent allowance, there is no payment for the week.
Worked example
- Weekly benefit amount (WBA)
- $300
- Earnings allowance (30% of WBA)
- $90
- Gross earnings that week
- $200
- Benefit for the week
- $190
On a $300 weekly benefit amount, the first $90 of earnings — 30 percent — costs you nothing. Of $200 in gross earnings, $200 minus $90 leaves $110 that counts against you, and $300 minus $110 is a $190 payment for that week. Earn $390 or more in the same week and the payment drops to zero.
What a part-time week does not excuse you from
Report gross earnings before taxes for the week you did the work, not the week you were paid. RSA 282-A:14 also counts payments in lieu of notice, separation allowance, accrued leave payouts, temporary partial workers' compensation, and self-employment earnings as wages for this calculation. Supplemental unemployment plan payments and the lump-sum portion of a workers' compensation settlement are not counted.
Partial benefits are a reduction, not a pass on the rest of the rules. You still have to file the weekly continued claim, be able and available for work, keep your NHWorks Job Match registration current, and complete and document your weekly work search. Part-time hours do not excuse the work search.
Not sure what your weekly benefit amount is yet? The NHES determination is the figure that counts — for a rough, salary-based placeholder until it arrives, try the unemployment benefits estimator, then run the numbers above against it.
How to apply for New Hampshire unemployment (NHES), step by step
Your claim takes effect on the Sunday of the week you file. New Hampshire weeks run Sunday at 12:01 a.m. through Saturday at midnight, and NHES cannot pay for weeks before the claim's effective date.
Before you start: what you'll need
- Social Security number.
- New Hampshire driver license or state ID number.
- Names, addresses, and phone numbers of every employer from the last 18 months.
- First and last dates worked for each employer and the reason each job ended.
- Your separation notice if you have one — a layoff letter, termination notice, furlough notice, or reduction-in-force notice.
- Any severance, separation allowance, vacation, or accrued leave payments and the period each covers.
- Bank routing and account numbers if you want direct deposit.
- DD Form 214 if you served in the military in the last 18 months, and your Alien Registration number if you are not a U.S. citizen.
The filing sequence
File your initial claim online the week you lose work
Go to unemploymentbenefits.nh.gov, sign in to the New Hampshire Workforce Connect dashboard, choose File for Benefits, then Apply for Unemployment Insurance Benefits. Your claim is effective the Sunday of the week you file, so the filing week is the earliest week you can be paid for.
Enter your full 18-month work history and separation reasons
List every employer from the last 18 months with dates and the reason each job ended, and upload your separation notice if you have one. Mismatches between your account and your employer's response are the most common reason a New Hampshire claim goes into fact-finding.
Report severance and any separation allowance
New Hampshire law counts a separation allowance, payments in lieu of notice, and payment of accrued leave as wages under RSA 282-A:14. Report the amount and the period covered when you file — NHES allocates it forward from your separation date, which delays rather than shrinks your benefits.
Complete the reemployment section and register with Job Match
The reemployment section of your application registers you with the NHWorks Job Match System at nhworksjobmatch.nhes.nh.gov. Finish your profile and build a resume there — employers search it, and it is where your reemployment plan lives.
Watch for your monetary determination
NHES typically issues a monetary determination within a few business days showing your weekly benefit amount and the wages behind it. Check the quarters and employers listed; a missing quarter is far easier to fix now than after your benefit year is set.
File a continued claim every week, starting with the waiting week
File a weekly continued claim for every week you want credited, including the unpaid waiting week. Each one asks about your work search, your earnings, and any job you were offered and turned down. A week you never file is a week that cannot be paid later.
When the money actually arrives
Expect a monetary determination within about two to five business days, and your first payment roughly two to three weeks after filing — the delay includes the mandatory unpaid waiting week. Separation issues or severance allocation will push it out further.
How you get paid
Direct deposit to a U.S. bank account, or a state-issued prepaid debit card if you do not enroll in direct deposit.
Keeping your benefits: payment requests and work search
Approval is not the finish line. Benefits stop for people who miss the filing window or cannot produce a work-search log, and a missed week is far harder to recover than it is to claim on time.
Request payment weekly
You file a continued claim each week you want to be paid, including the waiting week. New Hampshire weeks start Sunday at 12:01 a.m. and end Saturday at midnight, so you file after the week closes. Each continued claim asks about your work-search activity, any money you earned, and any job offers you received and refused.
Work search: registration, minimums, and records
Deadline: Register with the NHWorks Job Match System when you complete the reemployment section of your initial application, and keep the account and resume active for as long as you claim.
New Hampshire does not set a single statewide number of contacts. NHES requires a weekly work search using the methods customary to your occupation and local job market, plus reemployment activities designed to prepare you to return to work. Some claimants — for example those with a definite recall date — are exempt; your claim materials tell you which rules apply to you.
What counts:
- Contacting employers who are hiring, in the way that is customary for your occupation.
- Submitting applications or resumes for specific openings.
- Searching and applying through the NHWorks Job Match System and other job boards.
- Reemployment activities such as NHWorks workshops, resume help, and meetings with a career counselor.
Log every activity as you do it — the employer, the date, the position, how you applied, and the result — and tie each entry to the specific claim week. NHES audits work searches, and each weekly payment is tied to the week in which the activity actually happened, so a well-kept log is what protects paid weeks from being reversed.
What to do if your New Hampshire claim is denied
A denial is a first decision, not a final one. Employers contest claims routinely, and plenty of denials are reversed at the hearing — but only if you appeal inside the window.
Appeal deadline
14 days
You have 14 days from the mail date printed on the NHES determination to file an appeal, and the appeal must be received or postmarked inside that window. If nothing is received or postmarked within 14 days, the determination becomes final. There is no cost to appeal.
Verified Sep 8, 2026 · verify with NHESHow to file your appeal
- Online through the claimant portal — log in to your claim and follow the prompts on your Claim Dashboard.
- By mail using the appeal request form (NHES form 0093) to the address printed on your determination.
- By fax or in person at an NHWorks office, as directed on the determination notice.
- The appeal must be a written disagreement with the decision — put it in writing even if you also call NHES.
What to include
- Your name, Social Security number, and current address and phone number.
- The date of the determination and the issue you are appealing.
- A brief statement of why you disagree with the decision.
- Copies of any documents that support your position, such as a layoff letter or severance agreement.
The hearing, and what comes after
The Appeal Tribunal Unit schedules a hearing so each side can give testimony and evidence on the issue under appeal. An Appeal Tribunal Chairman hears the case and makes an independent decision based only on what is presented at that hearing — so bring your documents and witnesses rather than relying on the file.
If you disagree with the Appeal Tribunal decision, the next step is a request for reconsideration or an appeal to the NH Appellate Board, and after that the New Hampshire Supreme Court. The deadline and the method are printed on the Tribunal's decision.
Do not stop filing while you appeal. Keep filing your weekly continued claims the entire time an appeal is pending. NHES pays only for weeks you actually claimed — a win on appeal does not recover weeks you left unfiled.
Can you get unemployment in New Hampshire if you quit?
Quitting is not an automatic no. Every state disqualifies a voluntary quit without good cause; what counts as good cause is where states differ — and good cause only clears the separation question, not the weekly able-available-and-searching requirements.
If you quit: New Hampshire's good-cause rule
You are disqualified if you left work voluntarily without good cause under the commissioner's rules. The statute pays benefits regardless where you left unsuitable work within 12 weeks, left in good faith for better employment starting soon, left to protect yourself or immediate family from domestic abuse, became unable to do the job through pregnancy or a non-work illness or injury certified by a physician, followed a spouse whose job moved somewhere impractical to commute from, or left because of an immediate family member's illness or disability.
Two separate hurdles
- Good cause may avoid the separation disqualification for a voluntary quit.
- You must still meet the ongoing requirements every week you claim: able to work, available for work, and actively seeking it, plus the base-period wage or hours test.
Reasons the New Hampshire page names: Left for another job, Domestic violence or stalking, My own health or disability, Spouse or partner relocated (civilian job), Illness, disability or death of a family member.
Quitting makes a claim harder, not impossible. File anyway — the agency decides.
Source: RSA 282-A:32, I(a) · last verified 2026-09-07
Severance, final pay, and PTO in New Hampshire
These three decide when your unemployment money starts and how much cash you have to bridge the gap. They are separate rules and they interact.
How severance affects your claim
New Hampshire counts separation pay as wages. RSA 282-A:14 defines wages for benefit purposes to include payments in lieu of notice, a sickness or separation allowance, and payment of accrued leave — so NHES allocates the money forward from your separation date and delays benefits for the period it covers rather than reducing your total entitlement. Report every separation payment and let the NHES decide how it affects your claim — confirm with the agency.
Report it either way. An unreported payment that the agency finds later becomes an overpayment you have to pay back, sometimes with a penalty — a far worse outcome than a delayed start. For how the two interact in general, and how timing a severance payment changes it, see severance and unemployment.
Final paycheck timing
Under RSA 275:44, if you are laid off your employer must pay all wages earned by the next regular payday. If you are discharged rather than laid off, the wages are due in full within 72 hours.
Check the figure before you cash it — unpaid commission, an expense reimbursement, or a promised bonus is easiest to raise while the separation is still fresh. The final paycheck calculator works out what you should be owed and when it is due.
Unused PTO and vacation
New Hampshire does not require vacation or PTO payout by statute, but RSA 275:49 requires employers to have a written policy on vacation, sick, and other fringe benefits — and where that policy or practice promises payment at separation, the NH Department of Labor treats the unused time as wages the employer must pay.
Layoff notice: WARN and state law
New Hampshire has no state mini-WARN law. Only the federal WARN Act applies, which generally requires 60 days' written notice of a plant closing or mass layoff at employers with 100 or more employees.
Whether your layoff should have come with notice — and what happens if it did not — is set out in full in the New Hampshire WARN Act guide, along with the notices employers have actually filed in the state.
Are New Hampshire unemployment benefits taxable?
Federal tax applies; no state income tax
Unemployment benefits are taxable income for federal purposes. New Hampshire has no income tax on wages or unemployment benefits — the state's interest and dividends tax was repealed and does not reach benefit payments either. Federal withholding is voluntary: elect it in the claimant portal and 10 percent of each payment is withheld. NHES issues Form 1099-G each January.
Benefits arrive with no tax taken out unless you ask for withholding. Choosing 10% federal tax withholding can reduce the chance of an unexpected tax bill, but whether withholding makes sense depends on your individual tax situation — your other income for the year, your filing status, and any credits you expect. Confirm your own situation with a tax professional.
New Hampshire unemployment FAQ
Where do I file for unemployment in New Hampshire?+
How much unemployment will I get in New Hampshire?+
Is there a waiting week for New Hampshire unemployment?+
Do I have to look for work to keep benefits in New Hampshire?+
Are New Hampshire unemployment benefits taxable?+
When do I get my final paycheck and is unused PTO paid out in New Hampshire after a layoff?+
Does New Hampshire have its own mini-WARN layoff-notice law?+
How long does it take to get New Hampshire unemployment benefits?+
What is the base period for New Hampshire unemployment?+
What do I do if my New Hampshire unemployment claim is denied?+
Does severance pay stop unemployment benefits in New Hampshire?+
Can I get unemployment in New Hampshire if I was fired or quit?+
How often do I have to certify or request payment in New Hampshire?+
Can I work part-time and still get New Hampshire unemployment?+
How much can I earn before New Hampshire unemployment benefits are reduced?+
What is the maximum New Hampshire unemployment benefit in 2026?+
Can you get unemployment in New Hampshire if you quit your job?+
Filed your claim? Here's what to do next
Unemployment replaces a fraction of a paycheck. The next hour is better spent on the things that actually decide how long your runway lasts.
Layoff Runway Calculator
Combine your NH benefit, severance, and savings into a months-of-runway number.
Open toolUnemployment Benefits Estimator
Sanity-check the weekly amount before your determination arrives.
Open toolCOBRA vs Marketplace Calculator
Health coverage is the second bill to solve, and COBRA is rarely the cheapest option.
Open toolSeverance Pay Calculator
See what a severance offer is worth before you sign the release.
Open toolOfficial New Hampshire sources
Benefit amounts, deadlines, and eligibility rules on this page are verified against official New Hampshire Employment Security (NHES) sources. Rules and amounts change — check the source before you rely on a number.
Nearby states
New Hampshire WARN noticesRelated resources
Educational content only. LayoffNext does not provide legal, financial, tax, insurance, employment, immigration, unemployment, investment, or mental health advice. Always consult a licensed professional or official government source for guidance specific to your situation.
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