Arkansas Unemployment Benefits: Who Qualifies, How Much, and How to Apply
Arkansas unemployment: can you get benefits if fired or you quit, weekly benefit amounts, how many weeks, work search rules, how to apply and appeal.
Quick answers for Arkansas
- If you were fired
- You may not receive benefits if you were fired for misconduct, which the state describes as careless or deliberate behavior that results in being fired or suspended from your job. Arkansas Division of Workforce Services, Unemployment Insurance Handbook (2026), Section 2 and Glossary
- Weekly benefit amount
- Your weekly benefit amount is figured from your base period wages and shown on the Monetary Determination mailed to you after you file. The highest weekly benefit paid in Arkansas is $451. Arkansas Division of Workforce Services, Unemployment Insurance Handbook (2026), Amount of UI Benefits
- How many weeks
- Up to 12 weeks per claim. Act 196 of 2023 reduced the maximum from 16 to 12 weeks for initial claims filed on or after January 1, 2024. Your Monetary Determination shows how many weeks you can receive. Arkansas Division of Workforce Services, Unemployment Insurance Handbook (2026); UI Law Changes Effective January 1, 2024
- How to apply
- Apply online (the application takes about 30 minutes). Have your Social Security number (or alien registration number), mailing and physical address, phone number, last employer's name and address, union name and number if applicable, and bank routing and account numbers for direct… Arkansas Division of Workforce Services, Eligibility Requirements; File Weekly Certifications
Last verified: 2026-10-27
Who qualifies
| If you were fired | You may not receive benefits if you were fired for misconduct, which the state describes as careless or deliberate behavior that results in being fired or suspended from your job. Being fired for other reasons does not by itself disqualify you. |
|---|---|
| If you quit | You may receive benefits if you can show you left your last job for good cause related to the job, such as unsafe working conditions, or because you or your child were victims of domestic violence, stalking or sexual assault. You may not receive benefits if you left for personal reasons not related to work. |
| Layoffs and reduced hours | You may receive benefits if you were laid off or your employer reduced your hours. Refusing a recall after a layoff can disqualify you. For partial unemployment, you have 14 days from the date the wages are paid to claim the week, and you must report your hours and gross wages for each week. |
| Earnings needed to qualify | Your base period is the first four of the last five completed calendar quarters before you file (about 12 to 18 months back). Wages your employers reported in that period decide whether you have enough wages to set up a claim and how much you can receive. The U.S. Department of Labor's July 2026 summary of state laws lists the Arkansas requirement as base period wages of at least 35 times the weekly benefit amount, with wages in at least two quarters. |
| Self-employed, 1099 and gig workers | Service performed for an employer for wages in a lawful business is employment for unemployment purposes when the worker's status has been decided using the twenty-factor test required by Arkansas's Empower Independent Contractors Act of 2019. Arkansas Code text read on a public code mirror (FindLaw), because the official Arkansas Code is published through LexisNexis. Source: Ark. Code Ann. § 11-10-210(e) |
How much and how long
| Weekly benefit amount | Your weekly benefit amount is figured from your base period wages and shown on the Monetary Determination mailed to you after you file. The highest weekly benefit paid in Arkansas is $451. The department's FAQ gives the minimum weekly benefit as $81 (stated for federal-employee claims). The U.S. Department of Labor's July 2026 summary lists $81 to $451, figured as 1/26 of the average of the four base-period quarters. |
|---|---|
| How many weeks | Up to 12 weeks per claim. Act 196 of 2023 reduced the maximum from 16 to 12 weeks for initial claims filed on or after January 1, 2024. Your Monetary Determination shows how many weeks you can receive. |
| Waiting week | Yes. The first eligible week of your claim is an unpaid waiting week. You must still meet the eligibility requirements and certify for that week. |
| Working part-time on benefits | Report your gross earnings for the week you do the work. You may earn up to 40% of your weekly benefit amount without any effect on your benefits. If your gross earnings equal or exceed 140% of your weekly benefit amount, they are considered excessive and no benefit is paid. Full-time work (40 hours a week) makes you ineligible for that week. |
| Severance and vacation pay | Severance pay, pay in lieu of notice, or continued pay from an employer may affect benefits, and the state reviews severance to decide which weeks it affects. Retirement pay from a base period employer may also affect benefits. Report vacation pay, sick pay and PTO for the week you took the time off, even if paid later, and report holiday pay for the week of the holiday. |
Applying and keeping benefits
| How to apply | Apply online (the application takes about 30 minutes). Have your Social Security number (or alien registration number), mailing and physical address, phone number, last employer's name and address, union name and number if applicable, and bank routing and account numbers for direct deposit (otherwise you get a U.S. Bank ReliaCard). Certify each week (Sunday to Saturday) online in your Launch account or by calling Arkline at 501-907-2590; each week must be certified within 14 days after the week ends, by 11:59 p.m. Central on Saturday. |
|---|---|
| Work search requirements | Unless excused, you must complete at least 5 qualifying work search activities each week and report them in Launch or through Arkline with your weekly certification. You are ineligible for any week in which the five work search contacts are not made (effective January 1, 2024). You must also register for work in Launch. |
| Appealing a denial | You have 20 days from the mailing date of the decision to appeal to the Arkansas Appeal Tribunal. File by mail (Arkansas Appeal Tribunal, P.O. Box 8013, Little Rock, AR 72203), email, fax (501-682-7734) with a copy of the Notice of Agency Determination, or in person at a local office. You then have 20 days from the Tribunal's decision to appeal to the Board of Review, and 30 days to petition the Arkansas Court of Appeals yourself. Keep filing weekly claims during your appeal. |
| Logging in and filing weekly claims | Arkansas unemployment claimants file weekly certifications in the LAUNCH system (Arkansas Division of Workforce Services): sign in to your LAUNCH account, click the unemployment tile, report any hours worked and gross earnings and your work search activities (5 per week), and submit. Online filing is available 24/7; each week (Sunday-Saturday) must be certified by Saturday 11:59 p.m. Central Time, 14 days after the week ends. Without a computer or mobile device you can certify by phone through Arkline, 501-907-2590 (Mon-Fri 6 a.m.-6 p.m., Sunday 12:01 a.m.-6 p.m.). General information: 844-908-2178. LAUNCH sign-in linked from the agency page: https://jobseeker.launch.arkansas.gov/ |
Where to get help in Arkansas
Unemployment Benefits FAQ
Can you get unemployment if you were fired in Arkansas?
You may not receive benefits if you were fired for misconduct, which the state describes as careless or deliberate behavior that results in being fired or suspended from your job. Being fired for other reasons does not by itself disqualify you.
Can you get unemployment if you quit in Arkansas?
You may receive benefits if you can show you left your last job for good cause related to the job, such as unsafe working conditions, or because you or your child were victims of domestic violence, stalking or sexual assault. You may not receive benefits if you left for personal reasons not related to work.
Can you get unemployment if your hours were cut in Arkansas?
You may receive benefits if you were laid off or your employer reduced your hours. Refusing a recall after a layoff can disqualify you. For partial unemployment, you have 14 days from the date the wages are paid to claim the week, and you must report your hours and gross wages for each week.
How much do you need to have earned to get unemployment in Arkansas?
Your base period is the first four of the last five completed calendar quarters before you file (about 12 to 18 months back). Wages your employers reported in that period decide whether you have enough wages to set up a claim and how much you can receive.
How much is unemployment in Arkansas?
Your weekly benefit amount is figured from your base period wages and shown on the Monetary Determination mailed to you after you file. The highest weekly benefit paid in Arkansas is $451.
How long can you get unemployment in Arkansas?
Up to 12 weeks per claim. Act 196 of 2023 reduced the maximum from 16 to 12 weeks for initial claims filed on or after January 1, 2024. Your Monetary Determination shows how many weeks you can receive.
Is there a waiting week for unemployment in Arkansas?
Yes. The first eligible week of your claim is an unpaid waiting week. You must still meet the eligibility requirements and certify for that week.
What are the work search requirements for unemployment in Arkansas?
Unless excused, you must complete at least 5 qualifying work search activities each week and report them in Launch or through Arkline with your weekly certification. You are ineligible for any week in which the five work search contacts are not made (effective January 1, 2024). You must also register for work in Launch.
Does severance pay affect unemployment in Arkansas?
Severance pay, pay in lieu of notice, or continued pay from an employer may affect benefits, and the state reviews severance to decide which weeks it affects. Retirement pay from a base period employer may also affect benefits. Report vacation pay, sick pay and PTO for the week you took the time off, even if paid later, and report holiday pay for the week of the holiday.
How do I apply for unemployment in Arkansas?
Apply online (the application takes about 30 minutes). Have your Social Security number (or alien registration number), mailing and physical address, phone number, last employer's name and address, union name and number if applicable, and bank routing and account numbers for direct deposit (otherwise you get a U.S. Bank ReliaCard). Certify each week (Sunday to Saturday) online in your Launch account or by calling Arkline at 501-907-2590; each week must be certified within 14 days after the week ends, by 11:59 p.m. Central on Saturday.
How do I appeal an unemployment denial in Arkansas?
You have 20 days from the mailing date of the decision to appeal to the Arkansas Appeal Tribunal. File by mail (Arkansas Appeal Tribunal, P.O. Box 8013, Little Rock, AR 72203), email, fax (501-682-7734) with a copy of the Notice of Agency Determination, or in person at a local office. You then have 20 days from the Tribunal's decision to appeal to the Board of Review, and 30 days to petition the Arkansas Court of Appeals yourself. Keep filing weekly claims during your appeal.
Can you work part-time and collect unemployment in Arkansas?
Report your gross earnings for the week you do the work. You may earn up to 40% of your weekly benefit amount without any effect on your benefits. If your gross earnings equal or exceed 140% of your weekly benefit amount, they are considered excessive and no benefit is paid. Full-time work (40 hours a week) makes you ineligible for that week.
Can self-employed or gig workers get unemployment in Arkansas?
Service performed for an employer for wages in a lawful business is employment for unemployment purposes when the worker's status has been decided using the twenty-factor test required by Arkansas's Empower Independent Contractors Act of 2019.
Where do I log in to my unemployment claim in Arkansas?
Arkansas unemployment claimants file weekly certifications in the LAUNCH system (Arkansas Division of Workforce Services): sign in to your LAUNCH account, click the unemployment tile, report any hours worked and gross earnings and your work search activities (5 per week), and submit. Online filing is available 24/7; each week (Sunday-Saturday) must be certified by Saturday 11:59 p.m. Central Time, 14 days after the week ends. Without a computer or mobile device you can certify by phone through Arkline, 501-907-2590 (Mon-Fri 6 a.m.-6 p.m., Sunday 12:01 a.m.-6 p.m.). General information: 844-908-2178.
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General legal information, not legal advice. Laws change and local rules can differ; check the linked official source or talk to a lawyer about your situation.