Unemployment payment schedules vary by state. Your state may pay benefits weekly, bi-weekly, or use a combination of weekly and bi-weekly disbursements depending on the applicant.
Regardless of how often your state disburses benefits, you must file a claim or certification online or by phone before you receive your unemployment payment for each period.
For example, if your state pays weekly, you’ll need to get certified each week to verify that you are still eligible for benefits.
When it comes to unemployment payment methods, most states allow you to either set up a direct deposit to your bank account or receive a prepaid debit card specifically for your unemployment benefits.
Some states offer paper checks as an option as well or may mail a paper check for the first unemployment disbursement while your direct deposit or debit card is being set up.
For unemployment payment deposit details listed by state, see below.
Unemployment Benefit Deposits by State
We viewed official unemployment documentation from Departments of Labor in all 50 states and the District of Columbia to compile the payment details for each state.
Find the payment frequency, time frame, and method of each state’s unemployment payment in the table below. You can sort the table by selecting the arrows at the top of each column.
You can also select any state to be taken to the most relevant page on its Department of Labor’s website.
Note that none of the states have a set deposit time for bank accounts or prepaid cards (such as midnight or 8 a.m.); the deposit time will vary depending on when you complete your weekly or bi-weekly reporting and how fast the department is able to process your disbursement.
State | Weekly or bi-weekly? | Payment Dates | Payment Method |
---|---|---|---|
Alabama | Weekly | Day after weekly certification | Direct deposit or AL Vantage Prepaid Benefits Card |
Alaska | Bi-weekly | Five days after filing bi-weekly certificates | Direct deposit or debit card |
Arizona | Weekly | Next business day after the prior week's claim processes | Direct deposit or debit card |
Arkansas | Weekly | The second day after you file the weekly claim | Direct deposit or debit card |
California | Bi-weekly | Within 24 hours of submitting certification | Direct deposit, personal debit card, or EDD Debit Card |
Colorado | Bi-weekly | Two to three business days after submitting the bi-weekly claim | Direct deposit or prepaid debit card |
Connecticut | Weekly | About two days after filing the weekly claim | Direct deposit or debit card |
Delaware | Weekly | Up to two days after filing the weekly claim | Direct deposit or debit card |
Florida | Bi-weekly | Two or three days after the bi-weekly claim processes | Direct deposit or debit card |
Georgia | Weekly | About two days following the weekly claim | Direct deposit or debit card |
Hawaii | Weekly or Bi-weekly | Three business days after the claim processes | Paper check or direct deposit |
Idaho | Weekly | About three to four days after filing your weekly claim | Direct deposit or debit card |
Illinois | Bi-weekly | Two to three business days after weekly certification | Direct deposit or debit card |
Indiana | Weekly | Two to three days after filing the weekly voucher | Direct deposit or debit card |
Iowa | Weekly | Two to three days after filing the weekly claim | Direct deposit or debit card |
Kansas | Weekly | Within five business days of filing the weekly claim | Direct deposit or debit card |
Kentucky | Bi-weekly | Two to five days after filing the bi-weekly claim | Direct deposit or debit card |
Louisiana | Weekly | Three to four days after filing the weekly claim | Direct deposit or debit card |
Maine | Weekly | Within 48 hours of weekly claim approval | Direct deposit or Maine Automated Payment Card |
Maryland | Weekly | By 5 p.m. the next business day after filing weekly | Paper check or Maryland Unemployment Insurance Benefits Debit Card |
Massachusetts | Weekly | Two business days after filing the weekly claim | Direct deposit or debit card |
Michigan | Bi-weekly | Two to three days following the bi-weekly certification | Direct deposit or debit card |
Minnesota | Weekly | Five days or less after filing the weekly claim | Direct deposit or debit card |
Mississippi | Weekly | Within five days of weekly certification | Direct deposit or debit card |
Missouri | Weekly | Next business day following weekly claim | Direct deposit or Missouri Access Mastercard debit card |
Montana | Weekly or bi-weekly | Within two days of claim processing | Direct deposit or debit card |
Nebraska | Weekly | Within two or three business days of weekly filing | Direct deposit or debit card |
Nevada | Weekly | Within 48 hours of filing weekly claim | Direct deposit or debit card |
New Hampshire | Weekly | Five days or less after filing weekly claim | Paper check or direct deposit |
New Jersey | Weekly | Within two full business days following weekly certification | Direct deposit or prepaid debit card |
New Mexico | Weekly | Within three business days after filing weekly claim | Direct deposit or New Mexico Unemployment Insurance Visa debit card |
New York | Weekly | About three business days after weekly certification | Direct deposit or debit card |
North Carolina | Weekly | Three business days after weekly certification processes | Direct deposit or debit card |
North Dakota | Weekly | The next business day following weekly certification | Direct deposit or Way2Go prepaid debit card |
Ohio | Weekly | Within three business days of weekly claim processing | Direct deposit or debit card |
Oklahoma | Weekly | Within two to three days of filing the weekly claim | Direct deposit or prepaid debit card |
Oregon | Weekly | Two business days after weekly claim processing | Direct deposit or debit card |
Pennsylvania | Bi-weekly | One to two business days following the bi-weekly claim | Direct deposit or debit card |
Rhode Island | Weekly | One to two days after weekly claim processes | Direct deposit or Electronic Payment Card |
South Carolina | Weekly | Two to three business days following weekly claim processing | Direct deposit or debit card |
South Dakota | Weekly | The next business day after weekly certification | Direct deposit or Way2Go prepaid debit card |
Tennessee | Weekly | Within 48 hours after weekly certification | Direct deposit or Way2Go prepaid debit card |
Texas | Weekly | Within two business days following weekly certification | Direct deposit or debit card |
Utah | Weekly | Two or three business days after weekly reporting | Direct deposit or debit card |
Vermont | Weekly | Within three business days of weekly claim filing | Direct deposit or debit card |
Virginia | Weekly | Within two business days of weekly claim processing | Direct deposit or Way2Go prepaid debit card |
Washington | Weekly | Within one day of weekly claim filing | Direct deposit or debit card |
West Virginia | Weekly | Three to four days following the weekly claim | Direct deposit or debit card |
Wisconsin | Weekly | Up to three days after weekly claim filing | Direct deposit or debit card |
Wyoming | Weekly | Up to five business days following the weekly claim | Direct deposit or debit card |
District of Columbia | Weekly | Within two business days after weekly filing | Direct deposit or debit card |