TRENTON, N.J. — The New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development announced increases to maximum benefit rates and taxable wage bases for several worker benefit programs that will take effect Jan. 1, 2026.
The changes affect Unemployment Insurance, Temporary Disability Insurance, Family Leave Insurance and Workers’ Compensation benefits, including temporary disability, permanent total disability, permanent partial disability and dependency benefits.
Under the new rates, the maximum weekly Unemployment Insurance benefit will rise to $905, up from $875. The maximum weekly benefit for state plan Temporary Disability and Family Leave Insurance will increase to $1,119, from $1,081. The maximum weekly Workers’ Compensation benefit rate will increase to $1,199, from $1,159.
State labor officials said the benefit rates and taxable wage bases are recalculated annually based on the statewide average weekly wage from the second preceding calendar year, as required by law. The 2026 rates are based on a 2024 average weekly wage of $1,598.66, a 3.4 percent increase from $1,545.60 in 2023.
The taxable wage base for workers covered under the Unemployment Compensation Law will increase to $44,800 in 2026, up from $43,300 in 2025. The taxable wage base for Temporary Disability Insurance and Family Leave Insurance will rise to $171,100, from $165,400.
To qualify for Unemployment Insurance, Temporary Disability Insurance or Family Leave Insurance benefits in 2026, applicants must earn at least $310 per week for 20 base weeks, up from $303 in 2025. Alternatively, individuals who do not establish 20 base weeks must earn at least $15,500 during the base year period, an increase from $15,200.
Eligibility requirements are calculated using the state minimum wage in effect as of Oct. 1, 2025, when New Jersey’s minimum wage was $15.49 per hour for most workers. The state minimum wage is set to increase to $15.92 per hour on Jan. 1, 2026.
The department also announced that the contribution rate for state and local government employers that pay into the unemployment trust fund, rather than reimbursing it, will decrease to 0.5 percent of taxable wages in 2026, down from 0.6 percent in 2025.
Below is a chart showing the 2025 rates and the changes that will take effect January 1, 2026.
| Maximum Benefits Rates and Eligibility Criteria | ||
| 2025 | 2026 | |
| Maximum Unemployment Insurance (UI) Weekly Benefit Amount | $875 | $905 |
| Maximum Temporary Disability Insurance (TDI) and Family Leave Insurance (FLI) Weekly Benefit Amount | $1,081 | $1,119 |
| Maximum Workers’ Compensation Weekly Benefit Amount | $1,159 | $1,199 |
| Taxable Wage Base (UI – workers, employers; TDI – employers) | $43,300 | $44,800 |
| Taxable Wage Base (TDI/FLI – workers only) | $165,400 | $171,100 |
| Base Week Amount | $303 | $310 |
| Alternative Earnings Amount | $15,200 | $15,500 |
| UI Government Entities Contribution Rate | 0.6% | 0.5% |
