Unemployment benefits by state — all 50 states + DC
This is a single, sortable comparison of the maximum weekly unemployment benefit amount (WBA) and the maximum number of weeks you can collect regular unemployment in every US state and the District of Columbia. Use it to see how your state compares, then click any state to open its own benefit calculator.
What the table shows
- Max weekly benefit is the highest weekly amount the state will pay a claimant who qualifies for the maximum. It ranges from $235 in Mississippi to $1,152 in Washington — the lowest and highest in the country. The nationwide median maximum is about $591.
- With dependents shows the maximum a claimant with the most dependents could receive in the 13 states that pay a dependents’ allowance. A dash means the state has no dependents’ allowance.
- Max weeks is the longest you can draw regular unemployment. 14 states pay fewer than the traditional 26 weeks — as few as 12 weeks in Arkansas, Florida, North Carolina. Massachusetts pays the longest at up to 30 weeks. Many states tie the number of weeks to the state unemployment rate, so the maximum can rise or fall with the economy.
Your actual benefit and duration depend on your base-period wages, your reason for separation, and ongoing weekly certification — the table shows the state ceilings, not what every claimant receives.
How the weekly benefit is calculated
Each state sets its own formula based on your base period — usually the first four of the last five completed calendar quarters before you file. Common approaches: divide your highest-earning quarter by a fixed divisor (e.g. 26), or average your two highest quarters, then cap the result at the state maximum above. Open any state’s calculator to apply its exact formula to your wages.
Sources: US Department of Labor, Employment & Training Administration — Significant Provisions of State Unemployment Insurance Laws, January 2025 (effective 2025-01-01) for the maximum weekly benefit and maximum weeks. New York reflects the increase to $869/week effective 2025-10-06 (NY DOL) and Washington the $1,152 maximum for claims filed on/after 2025-07-06 (WA ESD). Several states index their maximum to a state average wage and adjust it annually — verify the current figure with your state UI agency before relying on it. As-of 2026-06-18. This page is informational, not legal or tax advice, and excludes federal extensions, dependents’-allowance edge cases, and benefit reductions for part-time earnings.