Average

• As of 2011, according to the U.S. Department of Labor, the average weekly unemployment benefit amount in Massachusetts was $389.71. The average duration for receiving benefits was 19.4 weeks, meaning the average recipient in the state would receive $7,560 in total benefits.
  
  

Calculation

• Your weekly benefit amount is 50 percent of your average weekly earnings during the four most recently completed calendar quarters before the start of your claim. That time frame is what the state unemployment agency calls your base period. For you to receive the average weekly benefit amount as of 2011, your average earnings per week during your base period would have to be $779.42.
  
  

Range

• The maximum you can receive in Massachusetts unemployment benefits according to state law is $629 a week for 30 weeks, or $18,870 total. However, your duration can last more than 30 weeks, all the way up to 86 weeks as of July 2011, if extensions are available through funding from the federal government. In addition, you can go beyond the weekly maximum if you have dependent children, for whom you can receive $25 each. The minimum you must have earned during your base period to qualify for unemployment benefits is $3,500, or about $67 per week, according to state law. Half of that, $33, is the minimum weekly payout for anyone receiving unemployment benefits.
  
  

Comparison

• For recipients of unemployment benefits, the average weekly amount is higher in Massachusetts than in any other state except Hawaii at $418.45 and New Jersey at $398.09. Massachusetts' average is well above the national average of $298.62. On the opposite end of the spectrum, the average payout in Mississippi is only $191.87. At least some of the difference between the high-end and low-end states is because of cost-of-living.