How Much Unemployment Pays in Massachusetts
How Massachusetts calculates weekly unemployment benefits, the current minimum and maximum, and how many weeks you can collect.
Short answer: Your weekly benefit is 50% of your average weekly wage in the base period, rounded down to the whole dollar, up to a maximum equal to 57.5% of the statewide average weekly wage. Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 151A, § 29(a), (c)
| Weekly benefit amount | Your weekly benefit is 50% of your average weekly wage in the base period, rounded down to the whole dollar, up to a maximum equal to 57.5% of the statewide average weekly wage. The maximum is recalculated each year and applies to benefit years starting on or after the first Sunday in October. You also get $25 a week for each dependent child who qualifies. The dollar figures for the current maximum and minimum weekly benefit (benefit years starting October 2026) were not confirmed from an official agency page. |
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| How many weeks | Total benefits are the lesser of 36% of your base period wages or 30 times your weekly benefit rate (up to 30 weeks). When average unemployment over the last 12 months is 5.1% or less in every one of the state's 10 metropolitan areas, new claims are limited to the lesser of 36% of base period wages or 26 times the weekly rate (up to 26 weeks). Dependency benefits are added. Up to 26 more weeks may be available while attending approved training. Which limit (26 or 30 weeks) currently applies was not confirmed from an official agency page. Source: Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 151A, § 30 |
| Waiting week | Yes. There is one unpaid waiting week of total or partial unemployment in each benefit year. |
More Massachusetts unemployment benefits
- Logging In to Your Massachusetts Unemployment Claim
- Unemployment for Self-Employed and Gig Workers in Massachusetts
- Unemployment After Being Fired in Massachusetts
- Unemployment After Quitting in Massachusetts
- How to File for Unemployment in Massachusetts
- All Massachusetts unemployment benefits rules
FAQ
How much is unemployment in Massachusetts?
Your weekly benefit is 50% of your average weekly wage in the base period, rounded down to the whole dollar, up to a maximum equal to 57.5% of the statewide average weekly wage. The maximum is recalculated each year and applies to benefit years starting on or after the first Sunday in October. You also get $25 a week for each dependent child who qualifies.
How long can you get unemployment in Massachusetts?
Total benefits are the lesser of 36% of your base period wages or 30 times your weekly benefit rate (up to 30 weeks). When average unemployment over the last 12 months is 5.1% or less in every one of the state's 10 metropolitan areas, new claims are limited to the lesser of 36% of base period wages or 26 times the weekly rate (up to 26 weeks). Dependency benefits are added. Up to 26 more weeks may be available while attending approved training.
Is there a waiting week for unemployment in Massachusetts?
Yes. There is one unpaid waiting week of total or partial unemployment in each benefit year.
General legal information, not legal advice. Laws change and local rules can differ; check the linked official source or talk to a lawyer about your situation.