Changes effective end of June and required by state law
June 1, 2026 (Salem, OR) — The Oregon Employment Department announced the annual update to the minimum and maximum weekly benefit amounts (WBAs) for regular Unemployment Insurance and Paid Leave Oregon claims. Oregon law requires the department to update these amounts each year using a formula set by statute.
Under Oregon law, the minimum and maximum WBAs are based on Oregon’s state average weekly wage, which reflects average wages for employees across the state. For calendar year 2025, Oregon’s state average weekly wage was $1,410.13, up 3.4% from $1,363.80 in 2024. Over the last 10 years, Oregon’s average weekly wage has increased by an average of 4.4% per year, with annual increases ranging from 2.4 percent in 2016 to 8.9 percent in 2020.
Because the state average weekly wage increased, Oregon law requires the minimum and maximum WBAs to also increase for the 2026 benefit year.
The minimum and maximum WBAs change to:
| Program | Change in Minimum WBA | Change in Maximum WBA |
| Unemployment Insurance | $204 → $211 per week | $872 → $902 per week |
| Paid Leave Oregon | $68.19 → $70.51 per week | $1,636.56 → $1,692.16 per week |
The 2026 minimum and maximum WBAs will affect:
- New Unemployment Insurance claims filed on or after June 28, 2026, and
- Paid Leave Oregon claims with benefit years that begin on or after June 28, 2026.
Unemployment Insurance
- For Unemployment Insurance, state law specifies that the minimum WBA is 15% and the maximum is 64% of the state average weekly wage, rounded down to the nearest dollar.
- A claimant’s weekly benefit amount is usually 1.25% of what they earned during their “base period,” which is roughly the first 12 of the 15 months before the date they filed their claim.
- New claims filed before June 28, 2026, will be subject to the 2025 minimum and maximum WBAs for the duration of the claim.
Paid Leave Oregon
- For Paid Leave Oregon, weekly benefit amounts are based on a formula that compares a worker’s average weekly wage to the state average weekly wage. Pursuant to state law, if a worker earns 65% or less of the state average, they receive benefits equal to 100% of their wages. Those earning more than 65% receive a portion of their wages.
- Claimants whose Paid Leave Oregon benefit year begins before June 28, 2026, will be subject to the 2025 minimum and maximum WBAs for the duration of their benefit year.
Paid Leave Oregon claimants can estimate their weekly benefit using the Paid Leave benefits calculator. More information on Unemployment Insurance benefits is available here.
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