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Runway after a layoff is how many months your combined resources — savings, severance pay, and any unemployment benefits — can cover your essential expenses before you need new income. Calculating it turns a stressful, uncertain moment into a concrete number and a deadline, which is generally easier to plan around than open-ended anxiety.

How it's calculated

Runway (months) = (liquid savings + net severance + expected unemployment benefits) ÷ (monthly essential expenses). Each piece needs care: severance is often taxed and sometimes paid as a lump sum that can push you into a higher tax bracket for that year; unemployment benefits (in the US, state-administered) usually have both a weekly cap and a maximum duration (commonly around 26 weeks in most states, though this varies and can be extended in some downturns), not an indefinite amount.

Why it matters

Job searches take longer than most people expect — the length varies significantly by industry, seniority, and macro conditions, and searches for senior or specialized roles frequently run several months. Knowing your real runway (rather than guessing) tells you whether you can afford to be selective, whether you need to immediately cut discretionary spending, or whether you should take a bridge job while searching.

Common pitfalls

Forgetting to net severance for taxes (it's typically taxed as supplemental wages) overstates runway. So does assuming unemployment benefits will fully replace your prior salary — most state programs replace only a fraction of previous earnings up to a cap, and eligibility/waiting periods vary by state. Also easy to miss: COBRA or marketplace health insurance costs (see the healthcare gap calculator) need to be added to essential expenses, since they usually rise sharply the moment employer coverage ends.