Job loss crisis plan
A job loss plan is only useful if the numbers in it are real. This tool pulls your actual state unemployment insurance figures, not a guess, and builds a first 24 hours, this week, and this month checklist around your real employment type, health insurance, and savings.
Pick your state to see your real unemployment insurance numbers and a plan built around them.
A free account keeps your numbers ready across every calculator, no re entering them each time.
How this calculator works
- Step 1Answer a few real questions
Your state, how you were employed, your expenses and savings.
- Step 2See your real state numbers
Your actual unemployment benefit range and filing link, sourced from the U.S. Department of Labor.
- Step 3Get a plan, not a guess
A checklist built from your answers, not generated fresh each time by AI.
Why state unemployment numbers vary so much
Unemployment insurance is a joint federal and state partnership, but each state sets its own maximum weekly benefit, funds its own program, and runs its own claims process, which is why the maximum benefit ranges from a few hundred dollars a week in some states to well over a thousand in others. There is no single national number that describes what any one person can expect.
Most states also require an unpaid waiting week before benefits begin, and pay for a set number of weeks, though a handful of states tie that week count to the state’s current unemployment rate rather than a flat number. None of this is guesswork here, every figure shown for your state is sourced directly and dated.
What this tool does not try to do
This plan covers the regular state unemployment insurance program only. It does not account for Extended Benefits triggers during high unemployment periods, per dependent add on amounts some states pay on top of the base benefit, or total dollar benefit caps that can end a claim before the week count does.
It also does not attempt to give legal advice on eviction protections, SNAP eligibility formulas, or state specific COBRA extensions, areas where the real rules are too jurisdiction and situation specific for a general tool to state safely. Where those questions come up, this plan points you to the right official resource instead of guessing.
Frequently asked questions
Why does this tool avoid using AI to write my plan?
An AI system generating a fresh answer every time has no way to guarantee the government URLs, dollar amounts, or eligibility rules it states are actually correct, it is recalling them from training data with no live verification. This tool instead uses a fixed library of hand written guidance, matched to your answers, with every state specific number sourced from an actual government publication and dated.
How accurate is the unemployment benefit estimate?
The maximum weekly benefit and typical benefit duration shown for your state are real, sourced figures. The specific dollar amount estimated for you personally is a planning estimate based on a common wage replacement rule of thumb, capped at your state’s real maximum, since your state calculates your actual benefit from your specific wage history once you file.
I am self employed or a 1099 contractor, does this apply to me?
Regular state unemployment insurance generally does not cover 1099 or self employed income, and this tool says so plainly rather than sending you toward a claim unlikely to be approved. Your plan instead focuses on how long your savings will last, expense cuts, and other steps that actually apply to your situation.
Will my plan and progress be saved?
If you are signed in, yes, your answers and any steps you check off are saved to your account so you can come back to the same plan later. Free to use either way, signing in only adds the ability to save and track it over time.
What if my state has variable benefit weeks?
Several states tie the number of weeks you can receive benefits to the state’s current unemployment rate rather than a flat number. For those states, this tool shows the real range rather than picking a single number to make the display simpler.
More calculators
Hours cut, freelance income down, gig work slow? A plan for stretching what is still coming in.
Your estimated monthly payment, broken into principal, interest, tax, and insurance.
A realistic home price based on your income, debts, and down payment.
Every number on this page is a planning estimate, for informational and educational purposes only, not professional advice.
Before you act on any major decisions, consult a qualified accountant, tax advisor, or financial advisor who knows your full picture.