Hawaii Unemployment Benefits: Who Qualifies, How Much, and How to Apply
Hawaii 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 Hawaii
- If you were fired
- You may be disqualified if you were terminated or let go for misconduct related to your work. Being let go for other reasons, such as a layoff, does not disqualify you. Hawaii Department of Labor and Industrial Relations, Unemployment Insurance FAQ
- Weekly benefit amount
- Your weekly benefit is your highest quarterly earnings in the base period divided by 21. The minimum is $5 a week. The maximum changes each calendar year; for 2026 it is $868 (it was $835 in 2025). Hawaii DLIR, Tax Rates and Weekly Benefit Amount; Unemployment Insurance FAQ
- How many weeks
- Up to 26 weeks within a claim that stays active for one year. Hawaii Department of Labor and Industrial Relations, Unemployment Insurance FAQ
- How to apply
- File your claim online at the Hawaii UI claims website. Submit weekly claims online within 7 days after the end of each week (Saturday). For help, call the Hawaii UI Call Center at (808) 762-5752 or (833) 901-2272. Hawaii DLIR, How to File Unemployment Claims Online; Unemployment Insurance FAQ
Last verified: 2026-10-27
Who qualifies
| If you were fired | You may be disqualified if you were terminated or let go for misconduct related to your work. Being let go for other reasons, such as a layoff, does not disqualify you. |
|---|---|
| If you quit | You may be disqualified if you voluntarily quit your job without good cause. |
| Layoffs and reduced hours | Workers who lose their job or have their hours reduced may qualify. If you work part-time, you can earn up to $150 a week and still get your full weekly benefit amount; if you earn more than your weekly benefit amount, you are not paid for that week. |
| Earnings needed to qualify | You must have been paid wages in at least two quarters of your base period, and total base period wages of at least 26 times your weekly benefit amount. |
| Self-employed, 1099 and gig workers | Services performed for wages or under a contract of hire count as employment for unemployment purposes, whether or not a common-law employer relationship exists, unless it is shown to the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations that the worker (1) is free from control or direction, both under the contract and in fact, (2) works outside the usual course of the business or outside all its places of business, and (3) is customarily engaged in an independent trade or business of the same kind. Source: Haw. Rev. Stat. § 383-6 |
How much and how long
| Weekly benefit amount | Your weekly benefit is your highest quarterly earnings in the base period divided by 21. The minimum is $5 a week. The maximum changes each calendar year; for 2026 it is $868 (it was $835 in 2025). The U.S. Department of Labor's July 2026 summary of state laws also lists Hawaii at $5 to $868. |
|---|---|
| How many weeks | Up to 26 weeks within a claim that stays active for one year. |
| Waiting week | Yes. Everyone must serve a waiting week, usually the first week of the benefit year. You must file for it and meet the eligibility requirements, but you are not paid for it. |
| Working part-time on benefits | You can earn up to $150 a week and still receive your full weekly benefit amount. If you earn more than your weekly benefit amount in a week, you will not receive benefits for that week. |
| Severance and vacation pay | You must report vacation pay, sick pay and strike pay while receiving benefits. If you receive a pension from a plan funded entirely by a base year employer, your benefits may be reduced. |
Applying and keeping benefits
| How to apply | File your claim online at the Hawaii UI claims website. Submit weekly claims online within 7 days after the end of each week (Saturday). For help, call the Hawaii UI Call Center at (808) 762-5752 or (833) 901-2272. |
|---|---|
| Work search requirements | Each week you must actively search for work and complete at least three work search activities. Hawaii residents are automatically registered for work with HireNet Hawaii, the state job-matching system. |
| Appealing a denial | Most decisions allow 10 days to appeal, and you may get up to 30 days if you have a good reason for filing late. Appeals are heard by the DLIR Employment Security Appeals Referees' Office. |
| Logging in and filing weekly claims | Hawaii unemployment claims must be filed online through the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations unemployment insurance claims website: log in, choose "Claim Certification," and follow the instructions for the weeks you are claiming. Weekly claims are due within 7 days after the week ends (Saturday); biweekly filers must file each of the two weeks separately within 7 days after the second week ends. The site also offers Claim Inquiry / My Claim Status and lets you reopen a claim. Filed certifications cannot be changed; call or use the contact form to fix an error. UI Call Center: (808) 762-5752 or toll-free (833) 901-2272; TTY via 711, (808) 586-8842. Claims website linked from the page: https://huiclaims.hawaii.gov/ |
Where to get help in Hawaii
Unemployment Benefits FAQ
Can you get unemployment if you were fired in Hawaii?
You may be disqualified if you were terminated or let go for misconduct related to your work. Being let go for other reasons, such as a layoff, does not disqualify you.
Can you get unemployment if you quit in Hawaii?
You may be disqualified if you voluntarily quit your job without good cause.
Can you get unemployment if your hours were cut in Hawaii?
Workers who lose their job or have their hours reduced may qualify. If you work part-time, you can earn up to $150 a week and still get your full weekly benefit amount; if you earn more than your weekly benefit amount, you are not paid for that week.
How much do you need to have earned to get unemployment in Hawaii?
You must have been paid wages in at least two quarters of your base period, and total base period wages of at least 26 times your weekly benefit amount.
How much is unemployment in Hawaii?
Your weekly benefit is your highest quarterly earnings in the base period divided by 21. The minimum is $5 a week. The maximum changes each calendar year; for 2026 it is $868 (it was $835 in 2025).
How long can you get unemployment in Hawaii?
Up to 26 weeks within a claim that stays active for one year.
Is there a waiting week for unemployment in Hawaii?
Yes. Everyone must serve a waiting week, usually the first week of the benefit year. You must file for it and meet the eligibility requirements, but you are not paid for it.
What are the work search requirements for unemployment in Hawaii?
Each week you must actively search for work and complete at least three work search activities. Hawaii residents are automatically registered for work with HireNet Hawaii, the state job-matching system.
Does severance pay affect unemployment in Hawaii?
You must report vacation pay, sick pay and strike pay while receiving benefits. If you receive a pension from a plan funded entirely by a base year employer, your benefits may be reduced.
How do I apply for unemployment in Hawaii?
File your claim online at the Hawaii UI claims website. Submit weekly claims online within 7 days after the end of each week (Saturday). For help, call the Hawaii UI Call Center at (808) 762-5752 or (833) 901-2272.
How do I appeal an unemployment denial in Hawaii?
Most decisions allow 10 days to appeal, and you may get up to 30 days if you have a good reason for filing late. Appeals are heard by the DLIR Employment Security Appeals Referees' Office.
Can you work part-time and collect unemployment in Hawaii?
You can earn up to $150 a week and still receive your full weekly benefit amount. If you earn more than your weekly benefit amount in a week, you will not receive benefits for that week.
Can self-employed or gig workers get unemployment in Hawaii?
Services performed for wages or under a contract of hire count as employment for unemployment purposes, whether or not a common-law employer relationship exists, unless it is shown to the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations that the worker (1) is free from control or direction, both under the contract and in fact, (2) works outside the usual course of the business or outside all its places of business, and (3) is customarily engaged in an independent trade or business of the same kind.
Where do I log in to my unemployment claim in Hawaii?
Hawaii unemployment claims must be filed online through the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations unemployment insurance claims website: log in, choose "Claim Certification," and follow the instructions for the weeks you are claiming. Weekly claims are due within 7 days after the week ends (Saturday); biweekly filers must file each of the two weeks separately within 7 days after the second week ends. The site also offers Claim Inquiry / My Claim Status and lets you reopen a claim. Filed certifications cannot be changed; call or use the contact form to fix an error. UI Call Center: (808) 762-5752 or toll-free (833) 901-2272; TTY via 711, (808) 586-8842.
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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.