What the contributory unemployment benefit is
The "paro" is the contributory unemployment benefit paid by the SEPE when you lose your job involuntarily and have contributed enough. It isn't a fixed allowance: it depends on how much you've contributed (how much you'll receive) and on how long you've contributed (for how many months you'll receive it).
You can work out your case in seconds with the unemployment benefit calculator, but here's a step-by-step of where the numbers come from.
Requirement: at least 360 days contributed
To be entitled to the contributory benefit you need to have contributed a minimum of 360 days for unemployment over the last 6 years, plus be in a legal situation of unemployment (dismissal, end of contract, collective layoff...). Voluntarily quitting doesn't entitle you to the benefit.
With fewer than 360 days contributed you don't get the contributory benefit, but you might qualify for a means-tested subsidy from the SEPE.
The regulatory base
The benefit amount is calculated on the regulatory base: the average of your unemployment contribution bases over the last 180 days worked. As those bases roughly match your gross salary (with extra payments prorated), a good estimate is:
Monthly regulatory base ≈ gross annual salary ÷ 12
The regulatory base is capped by the maximum contribution base (€5,101.20/month in 2026), so no matter how high your salary is, the benefit won't grow beyond that limit.
How much you get: 70% and 60%
Two percentages are applied to the regulatory base:
- First 180 days (6 months): 70% of the regulatory base.
- From day 181 onwards: 60%.
This 60% from day 181 is the change introduced by Royal Decree-law 2/2024, in force since 1 November 2024 (it used to be 50%).
The IPREM caps by dependent children
The amount can't be just anything: it has a minimum and a maximum that depend on the IPREM (€600/month in 2026, frozen since 2023) increased by one sixth (€700/month) and on the number of dependent children:
| Dependent children | Minimum | Maximum |
|---|---|---|
| No children | €560 (80%) | €1,225 (175%) |
| 1 child | €749 (107%) | €1,400 (200%) |
| 2 or more children | €749 (107%) | €1,575 (225%) |
That's why, with a mid-to-high salary and no children, many people receive the €1,225/month cap even if 70% of their regulatory base would be higher.
How long you get it: the duration
The duration depends on the days contributed over the last 6 years, according to this scale:
| Days contributed | Benefit duration |
|---|---|
| 360 – 539 | 120 days (4 months) |
| 540 – 719 | 180 days (6 months) |
| 720 – 899 | 240 days (8 months) |
| 900 – 1,079 | 300 days (10 months) |
| 1,080 – 1,259 | 360 days (12 months) |
| 1,260 – 1,439 | 420 days (14 months) |
| 1,440 – 1,619 | 480 days (16 months) |
| 1,620 – 1,799 | 540 days (18 months) |
| 1,800 – 1,979 | 600 days (20 months) |
| 1,980 – 2,159 | 660 days (22 months) |
| 2,160 or more | 720 days (24 months) |
The maximum is 720 days, i.e. 24 months of benefit, reached with 6 years contributed.
And net? The Social Security contribution
While you receive the benefit you keep contributing: the SEPE deducts the worker's share from your benefit, 4.7% of the regulatory base. Income tax may also be withheld, but it's voluntary and at these amounts it's usually 0%.
So the net you receive each month is, roughly, the gross amount minus that 4.7% of the regulatory base.
A full example
Imagine a worker with a gross salary of €30,000/year, no children and 6 years contributed:
- Regulatory base ≈ 30,000 ÷ 12 = €2,500/month.
- 70% = €1,750, but it's capped at €1,225/month (maximum with no children) for the first 6 months.
- 60% = €1,500, also capped at €1,225/month from month 7.
- Social Security: 4.7% of 2,500 = €117.50/month, so the net is around €1,107/month.
- Duration: 720 days (24 months).
Calculate your benefit
Every situation is different (salary, children, days contributed), so the fastest way is to try your own case:
👉 Calculate my unemployment benefit
And if you've just lost your job, remember that before the benefit you're entitled to severance pay: calculate that too to know how much of a cushion you have.