Arbeitslosengeld Calculator 2026

Estimate your Arbeitslosengeld I (unemployment insurance benefit): eligibility, entitlement duration, and monthly amount

How is Arbeitslosengeld calculated?

Eligibility (Anwartschaftszeit): You generally need at least 12 months in a qualifying insurance relationship (Versicherungspflichtverhältnis) within the 30-month framework period (Rahmenfrist). Under certain conditions, a shortened 6-month qualifying period applies to predominantly short fixed-term employment (§ 142 Abs. 2 SGB III).

Amount: Your Bemessungsentgelt (average daily gross earnings) is reduced by three statutory deductions: a 20% social-insurance lump sum, calculated wage tax, and the solidarity surcharge. The wage-tax calculation follows the applicable official BMF Programmablaufplan. The resulting Leistungsentgelt is then multiplied by 60%, or 67% if the statutory child requirement is met.

Entitlement duration: The duration depends primarily on your qualifying insured periods and, for longer entitlements, your age. Under the normal rules, ALG I can range from 6 months up to a maximum of 24 months. A separate shorter duration applies when the shortened 6-month Anwartschaftszeit under § 142 Abs. 2 is used.

Your situation

Your Bemessungsentgelt: the average gross wage from the last 12 months worked, assumed stable. Recent raises or hour changes within that period aren't modeled separately.

How many months you were in compulsorily insured employment within the 30-month Rahmenfrist.

For employment that was predominantly short fixed-term contracts (≤ 14 weeks each), per § 142 Abs. 2 SGB III.

The tax class registered on your tax card as of January 1 of the year your claim arises, not necessarily your current one (§ 153 Abs. 2 SGB III).

The count from your tax card (Lohnsteuerabzugsmerkmale), usually 0.5 per child, or the full amount as a single parent claiming it entirely.

Raises your Leistungssatz from 60% to 67% (§ 149 SGB III).

If you received Arbeitslosengeld within the last 2 years, your Bemessungsentgelt can't be assessed lower than it was then (§ 151 Abs. 5 SGB III).