Brazilian unemployment insurance calculator 2026
Enter your last three salaries, the months of formal employment and which request this is: the calculator shows the value of each seguro-desemprego (unemployment insurance) instalment, how many you get and the total.
| Average salary (last 3 months) | R$2,800.00 |
|---|---|
| Value of each instalment | R$2,066.66 |
| Number of instalments | 4 |
| Total to receive | R$8,266.64 |
- Calculation band
- R$2,222.18 to R$3,703.99: R$1,777.74 + 50% of the excess
- The qualifying rule also requires wages in 12 of the last 18 months (1st), 9 of the last 12 (2nd) or each of the last 6 (3rd or later).
Estimate only; it does not replace an accountant, an employment lawyer or the official calculation by the employer/Receita Federal.
Tables in force on 11/13/2026 — source: Unemployment insurance 2026 (bands and instalments) · National minimum wage · all tables and sources
How it is calculated
1. Who qualifies
Seguro-desemprego (unemployment insurance) is a federal benefit for workers with a signed carteira de trabalho (formal employment record) who are dismissed without cause (Lei 7.998/1990, art. 3º). It is not available after a resignation, a dismissal for cause or a mutual agreement under CLT art. 484-A — in that case the worker withdraws part of the FGTS severance fund, but the law excludes the benefit. You must also have no other income sufficient to support your family and meet the qualifying period for your request.
2. Average salary
The base is the average salary of the three months before dismissal: average = (salary 1 + salary 2 + salary 3) ÷ 3. If you leave a field empty or at zero, the calculator averages only the salaries entered. Use the gross salary of each month, before social security and income tax deductions.
3. Instalment value (2026 table)
The bands updated by the Ministry of Labour and Employment (MTE) apply from January 11, 2026:
- Average up to R$2,222.17:
average × 0.8. - R$2,222.18 to R$3,703.99:
R$1,777.74 + 50% × (average − R$2,222.17). - Above R$3,703.99: a flat R$2,518.65, the ceiling.
No instalment can be lower than the national minimum wage, R$1,621.00 in 2026. When the formula gives less, the calculator raises the value to that floor and flags it. Amounts are rounded to the cent.
4. Number of instalments
Under art. 4º of Lei 7.998/1990, as amended by Lei 13.134/2015, the number of instalments depends on the request and on the months worked in the last 36 months:
| Request | 3 instalments | 4 instalments | 5 instalments |
|---|---|---|---|
| First | — | 12 to 23 months | 24 months or more |
| Second | 9 to 11 months | 12 to 23 months | 24 months or more |
| Third or later | 6 to 11 months | 12 to 23 months | 24 months or more |
Below each row's minimum, the result shows zero instalments. There is also a recent-window rule the calculator does not check: wages in at least 12 of the last 18 months for the first request, 9 of the last 12 for the second, and each of the last 6 months from the third onwards.
5. What is left out
The calculator does not check the filing deadline, other income, INSS benefits received at the same time or rules for special groups such as artisanal fishers and domestic workers. The result is an estimate; the official amount appears on the MTE portal and app once you file.
For what the employer pays when the job ends, use the severance pay calculator. For the FGTS balance and the 40% fine, see the FGTS calculator.
Worked example
An employee is dismissed without cause after 20 months of formal employment and is filing her first request. Her last three salaries were R$3,000.00, R$3,000.00 and R$3,200.00, an average of R$3,066.67. That average falls in the second band: the excess over R$2,222.17 is R$844.50, half of it is R$422.25, so each instalment is R$1,777.74 + R$422.25 = R$2,199.99. With 20 months on a first request she is entitled to 4 instalments, R$8,799.96 in total.
- Salary in the last month
- R$3,000.00
- Salary in the month before
- R$3,000.00
- Salary two months before
- R$3,200.00
- Months of formal employment (last 36 months)
- 20
- Request
- First
| Average salary (last 3 months) | R$3,066.67 |
|---|---|
| Value of each instalment | R$2,199.99 |
| Number of instalments | 4 |
| Total to receive | R$8,799.96 |
- Calculation band
- R$2,222.18 to R$3,703.99: R$1,777.74 + 50% of the excess
- The qualifying rule also requires wages in 12 of the last 18 months (1st), 9 of the last 12 (2nd) or each of the last 6 (3rd or later).
Frequently asked questions
Do I get unemployment insurance if I resign?
No. The benefit is for workers dismissed without cause (or in specific situations set by law, such as a recognised constructive dismissal). Resignation, dismissal for cause and the mutual agreement of CLT art. 484-A do not qualify. Under the agreement the worker withdraws up to 80% of the FGTS deposits and gets a 20% fine, but no unemployment insurance.
What is the maximum benefit in 2026?
The ceiling is R$2,518.65 per instalment, paid when the average salary is above R$3,703.99; a higher salary does not raise it. The minimum is the national minimum wage, R$1,621.00, so no instalment is lower than that even with a low average. These bands apply from January 11, 2026.
Can foreign workers receive it?
The law does not set nationality as a condition: what matters is having been formally employed under the CLT (Brazil's labour code), dismissed without cause and meeting the qualifying period. In practice you need a CPF (taxpayer number) and access to the government's gov.br login to file. Check the MTE portal for the documents required in your case.
How do I know if this is my first, second or third request?
Each time you actually received the benefit counts, not each dismissal. If you never received it, this is your first request; if you received it once, it is the second, and so on. Your history is available on the Ministry of Labour and Employment portal and app with your gov.br login.
Does this include my severance pay or FGTS?
No. It shows only the gross value of each benefit instalment, which is paid by the government. Salary balance, vacation, the 13th salary and the FGTS fine are paid by the employer or the fund; see the severance pay calculator and the FGTS calculator for those amounts.
Can I save or share the result?
Yes. The “Copy simulation link” button puts the three salaries, the months worked and the request number into the page address, so anyone who opens it sees the same result. Nothing is stored on a server; the inputs only exist in the link you chose to copy.
Legal basis
- MTE — 2026 unemployment insurance update
- Lei nº 7.998/1990, arts. 3º and 4º (as amended by Lei 13.134/2015)
- CLT, art. 484-A (Lei 13.467/2017)
- 2026 minimum wage — INSS monthly contribution table
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Updated Nov 13, 2026 · by Juliana Costa