How to File for Unemployment in Massachusetts
How to apply for unemployment in Massachusetts, what you need, and what you must do each week to keep getting benefits.
Short answer: You must have been paid base period wages of at least 30 times your weekly benefit rate, and at least a minimum dollar amount that started at $2,000 in 1995 and rises each January with increases in the state minimum wage. Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 151A, § 24(a)
| Earnings needed to qualify | You must have been paid base period wages of at least 30 times your weekly benefit rate, and at least a minimum dollar amount that started at $2,000 in 1995 and rises each January with increases in the state minimum wage. The current dollar minimum for 2026 was not confirmed from an official agency page. |
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| Work search requirements | You must be capable of, available for and actively seeking work in your usual occupation or any other occupation you are reasonably fitted for, and you must register for work as the agency requires. The required number of work search activities per week was not confirmed from an official agency page. |
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 Much Unemployment Pays in Massachusetts
- All Massachusetts unemployment benefits rules
FAQ
How much do you need to have earned to get unemployment in Massachusetts?
You must have been paid base period wages of at least 30 times your weekly benefit rate, and at least a minimum dollar amount that started at $2,000 in 1995 and rises each January with increases in the state minimum wage.
What are the work search requirements for unemployment in Massachusetts?
You must be capable of, available for and actively seeking work in your usual occupation or any other occupation you are reasonably fitted for, and you must register for work as the agency requires.
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.