Unemployment insurance (seguro de cesantía) is the income a private-sector worker in Chile receives after losing or leaving a job. It is run by AFC (Sociedad Administradora de Fondos de Cesantía) and paid from two pots: the worker's own Individual Unemployment Account and the Solidarity Unemployment Fund, which tops up when the balance falls short. Under the amounts in force until February 28, 2027, the first payment equals 70% of the average wage for a worker on a permanent contract, with a floor of CLP 301,201 and a ceiling of CLP 1,004,003 when the solidarity fund is used, according to AFC Chile.
In May 2026, 261,946 people received the benefit, with an average payment of CLP 536,904, according to the monthly report of the Superintendencia de Pensiones (SP), Chile's pension regulator. This guide explains who can claim it, how much it pays month by month, what changes with the high unemployment of 2026 and how to apply.
View the data as a table
| Beneficiaries in May 2026 | 261,946 |
| Average benefit | CLP 536,904 |
| Claims approved in May | 119,073 |
| Insured workers (April) | 12.0 million |
Who is covered and how it is funded
The insurance has existed since October 2002 under Law 19,728 and covers anyone with a contract governed by the Labor Code. Since October 2020 it also covers domestic workers. Public employees, the self-employed, apprentices and pensioners (except partial disability) do not contribute, according to AFC.
Each month 3% of taxable pay goes into the insurance, split between worker and employer depending on the contract. Contributions are capped at a taxable ceiling of 135.2 UF a month since February 2026, according to the Superintendencia de Pensiones: at the November 4 UF value that is about CLP 5,579,553. Because the cap is set in UF, it rises every day; our explainer on the UF shows how it is calculated.
| Contribution | Permanent contract | Fixed-term or per job | Domestic work |
|---|---|---|---|
| Worker (individual account) | 0.6% | 0% | 0% |
| Employer (individual account) | 1.6% | 2.8% | 2.2% |
| Employer (solidarity fund) | 0.8% | 0.2% | 0.8% |
| Total | 3% | 3% | 3% + 1.11% to the AFP |
Source: AFC Chile. Employers pay into the individual account for at most 11 years per employment relationship; after that they only keep paying into the solidarity fund while the contract lasts.
Requirements to claim unemployment insurance
To claim, you must be out of work, have a valid ID card, the settlement document (finiquito) or another document proving the end of the contract, and a minimum number of contributions, which depends on the contract and on which fund pays. These are the requirements published by AFC:
| Contract type | Individual account only | With solidarity fund |
|---|---|---|
| Permanent or domestic work | 10 contributions since joining or the last claim | 10 contributions in the last 24 months, the last 3 in a row with the same employer |
| Fixed-term, job or service | 5 contributions | 10 contributions in the last 24 months, the last 3 in a row with the same employer |
The key difference is why the job ended. The individual account can be used even after resigning or leaving by mutual agreement. The solidarity fund, by contrast, requires that the contract ended for reasons beyond the worker's control (dismissal), that the individual balance cannot cover 5 payments, and that the person is registered with the Bolsa Nacional de Empleo (national job board). The solidarity fund allows up to 10 payments in any 5-year period.
How much unemployment insurance pays each month
The amount is based on the average of the latest pay on which contributions were made (10 months; for the individual account of a fixed-term contract, the last 5) and falls each month. From the individual account you get between 1 and 13 payments, depending on the balance: the first is 70% of the average and then 60%, 45%, 40%, 35% and 30% until the money runs out. The solidarity fund pays 5 instalments with legal floors and ceilings, which the SP updated in Resolución Exenta No. 383 of March 6, 2026:
| Payment | Permanent: % of average | Floor | Ceiling | Fixed-term: % of average | Floor | Ceiling |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 70% | CLP 301,201 | CLP 1,004,003 | 60% | CLP 258,161 | CLP 860,574 |
| 2 | 60% | CLP 258,171 | CLP 860,574 | 40% | CLP 172,115 | CLP 573,718 |
| 3 | 45% | CLP 193,629 | CLP 645,429 | 35% | CLP 150,602 | CLP 502,002 |
| 4 | 40% | CLP 172,115 | CLP 573,718 | 30% | CLP 129,085 | CLP 430,288 |
| 5 | 35% | CLP 150,602 | CLP 502,002 | 30% | CLP 129,085 | CLP 430,288 |
Source: AFC Chile, amounts in force until February 28, 2027. On top of each payment, AFC transfers to the worker's AFP pension account a contribution equal to 10.10% of the benefit (the so-called gap insurance), which is not deducted from what the person receives, and Fonasa health coverage is kept.
View the data as a table
| Permanent | Fixed-term | |
|---|---|---|
| Payment 1 | 70% | 60% |
| Payment 2 | 60% | 40% |
| Payment 3 | 45% | 35% |
| Payment 4 | 40% | 30% |
| Payment 5 | 35% | 30% |
Examples with three wage levels
For a dismissed worker on a permanent contract who claims from the solidarity fund, the floors and ceilings change the outcome a lot. With an average wage of CLP 400,000, the floors apply; with CLP 1,500,000, the ceilings apply from the first month. Pauta Financiera's calculation using AFC's table:
| Average wage | Payment 1 | Payment 2 | Payment 3 | Payment 4 | Payment 5 | Total of 5 payments |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CLP 400,000 | CLP 301,201 | CLP 258,171 | CLP 193,629 | CLP 172,115 | CLP 150,602 | CLP 1,075,718 |
| CLP 800,000 | CLP 560,000 | CLP 480,000 | CLP 360,000 | CLP 320,000 | CLP 280,000 | CLP 2,000,000 |
| CLP 1,500,000 | CLP 1,004,003 | CLP 860,574 | CLP 645,429 | CLP 573,718 | CLP 502,002 | CLP 3,585,726 |
Does your company offer insurance, loans or services for people between jobs? Reach Pauta Financiera's readers.
See advertising optionsTwo extra payments because of high unemployment in 2026
The law allows two extra payments (the sixth and seventh) from the solidarity fund when the national unemployment rate published by INE exceeds the previous four-year average by one percentage point. On October 29, 2026, AFC announced that the benefit had been triggered because unemployment reached 9.80% in the July-September quarter. It is paid automatically to people who received their fifth payment in September or October 2026 and are still unemployed: each extra payment equals 30% of the average wage, between CLP 129,085 and CLP 430,288.
A long spell without work often ends in overdue debts. If that happens, our guide on how to get out of Dicom explains what to do and how much delinquent debt there is by region.
- October 2002The insurance startsLaw 19,728 applies to contracts signed from October 2, 2002.
- October 2020Domestic workers joinDomestic workers with a current contract are brought in.
- December 2023Law 21,628Permanently eases eligibility and raises the amounts.
- May 2025Gap insurance for everyoneThe pension reform (Law 21,735) extends the pension contribution to all beneficiaries.
- March 2026New floors and ceilingsThe SP sets the amounts in force until February 2027 (Resolución Exenta 383).
- October 2026Extra paymentsWith unemployment at 9.80%, the sixth and seventh solidarity fund payments are triggered.
Who claims the insurance and how much they receive on average
The averages show the gap between contract types. In May 2026, people coming from a permanent contract received on average CLP 651,053, against CLP 332,452 for fixed-term workers and CLP 291,185 for domestic workers. Payments from the individual account averaged CLP 638,208 and those from the solidarity fund CLP 448,121, according to the SP. Men received CLP 579,567 on average and women CLP 474,437.
Unemployment funds totaled CLP 14.9 trillion (about US$16.169 billion) in June 2026: 75.5% in individual accounts and 24.5% in the solidarity fund. That month AFC charged its base fee of 0.43% a year. Because the benefit depends on pay, it also varies by region: Antofagasta has the highest average taxable pay among contributors and Maule the lowest.
View the data as a table
| Antofagasta | CLP 1,778,968 · 187,074 contributors |
| Atacama | CLP 1,620,245 · 76,559 contributors |
| Metropolitana | CLP 1,531,208 · 1,900,241 contributors |
| Tarapacá | CLP 1,471,108 · 80,428 contributors |
| Coquimbo | CLP 1,427,961 · 175,909 contributors |
| Arica y Parinacota | CLP 1,315,487 · 46,565 contributors |
| Valparaíso | CLP 1,303,110 · 405,576 contributors |
| Magallanes | CLP 1,302,736 · 44,018 contributors |
| Biobío | CLP 1,266,104 · 363,162 contributors |
| O'Higgins | CLP 1,200,089 · 222,126 contributors |
| Los Lagos | CLP 1,171,935 · 197,560 contributors |
| Aysén | CLP 1,167,477 · 20,931 contributors |
| Los Ríos | CLP 1,137,633 · 75,308 contributors |
| Ñuble | CLP 1,091,417 · 95,864 contributors |
| La Araucanía | CLP 1,074,491 · 181,027 contributors |
| Maule | CLP 1,055,042 · 233,098 contributors |
| Arica y Parinacota | 46,565 | 1,315,487 |
| Tarapacá | 80,428 | 1,471,108 |
| Antofagasta | 187,074 | 1,778,968 |
| Atacama | 76,559 | 1,620,245 |
| Coquimbo | 175,909 | 1,427,961 |
| Valparaíso | 405,576 | 1,303,110 |
| Metropolitana | 1,900,241 | 1,531,208 |
| O'Higgins | 222,126 | 1,200,089 |
| Maule | 233,098 | 1,055,042 |
| Ñuble | 95,864 | 1,091,417 |
| Biobío | 363,162 | 1,266,104 |
| La Araucanía | 181,027 | 1,074,491 |
| Los Ríos | 75,308 | 1,137,633 |
| Los Lagos | 197,560 | 1,171,935 |
| Aysén | 20,931 | 1,167,477 |
| Magallanes | 44,018 | 1,302,736 |
How to claim unemployment insurance step by step
- From the day after the contract ends, you can apply at afc.cl with ClaveÚnica or an AFC password, or at a branch.
- Documents: valid ID and a settlement document ratified before an official witness. An electronic settlement signed on the Labor Directorate's platform needs no ratification.
- Without a settlement, depending on the case, a dismissal letter (within 30 days), a ratified resignation letter or a mutual-agreement letter can be used.
- Choose the fund: if eligible, the person decides whether to use the solidarity fund. The choice can be changed up to 3 business days before the first payment; if you pick only the individual account and run it down, you cannot switch to the solidarity fund later.
- Stay unemployed and registered with the national job board while receiving solidarity fund payments.
The insurance also protects the pension: months on benefits add a contribution to the AFP account. Contribution gaps are one of the problems the OECD highlights in its latest review of Chile's system, covered in our story on the pension gap.
Frequently asked questions
Can I claim if I resigned?
Yes, but only from your individual account balance. The Solidarity Fund requires that the contract ended for reasons beyond your control.
What is the maximum benefit in 2026?
Under the solidarity fund, the first payment for a permanent contract is capped at CLP 1,004,003 and for a fixed-term contract at CLP 860,574, amounts in force until February 28, 2027. With the individual account there is no fixed ceiling: it depends on the balance and the average wage.
How many contributions do I need?
For the individual account, 10 if the contract was permanent or domestic, and 5 if it was fixed-term. For the solidarity fund, 10 in the last 24 months, with the last 3 in a row and with the same employer.
What happens to my balance if I retire?
After receiving the first pension payment, you can withdraw the whole individual unemployment account balance in a single payment, with your ID and identity check at afc.cl.
Do the extra payments require an application?
No. AFC pays them automatically to people who received their fifth solidarity fund payment in September or October 2026 and remain unemployed, and notifies them by email.
This information is journalistic and educational. Exact amounts depend on each case; confirm them with AFC's simulator and service channels.
