German Unemployment Benefit Calculator 2026
How much Arbeitslosengeld I will you get? This calculator follows the Federal Employment Agency’s method step by step, from gross pay to the daily rate.
| Assessed pay per day | €115.07 |
|---|---|
| Social insurance flat rate (20%) | €23.01 |
| Wage tax and solidarity per day | €13.35 |
| Benefit base per day | €78.71 |
| Benefit per day | €47.23 |
| Benefit per month (30 days) | €1,416.90 |
- Per Sections 149 to 153 SGB III: gross capped at €8,450 a month, flat-rate deductions instead of your real contributions. Small rounding differences of a few cents a day against the employment agency’s calculator are possible.
From gross pay to benefit
The basis is your average gross pay over the last twelve months, converted to a daily assessed pay, capped at the €8,450 monthly contribution ceiling. The agency deducts a 20% social insurance flat rate plus wage tax and solidarity surcharge. You receive 60% of the result, the benefit base, or 67% with a child. On €3,500 gross in tax class I that is €47.23 a day or €1,416.90 a month.
How long it is paid
Usually 12 months. From age 50 it is 15, from 55 it is 18 and from 58 it is 24 months, provided you were insured long enough.
Changing tax class
The tax class at the start of the year the claim arises is what counts. A later change only applies if it is not purely to raise the benefit, so couples should plan any switch early.
Benefit at typical salaries
Frequently asked questions
Do holiday and Christmas pay count?
Yes, all one-off payments subject to contributions in the assessment period raise the assessed pay.
Is unemployment benefit taxed?
It is tax-free but subject to the progression clause, raising the rate on your other income in the same year.
Why does the amount differ slightly from the agency?
The agency rounds daily wage tax by an unpublished method. Our results usually match its calculator to the cent and otherwise differ by a few cents a day.
Sources: Sections 136 to 153 SGB III, Federal Employment Agency self-calculation 2026.