How Much Percentage for Unemployment in Massachusetts?
Massachusetts unemployment compensation is no different from other state unemployment programs in that the payments are based on the wages you earned when you were working. Instead of replacing that lost salary, the Massachusetts Department of Labor and Workforce Development (DLWD) distributes payments that are a portion of those previous wages. The DLWD reviews your insured wages you earned during your base period to calculate your weekly benefit amount.
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Base Period
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When the DLWD approves your benefits and starts to calculate the amount you can receive, everything starts with your base period. Your base period is the first four of the last five full calendar quarters before you filed your claim. Massachusetts also has an alternate base period for those who do not qualify for benefits based on the standard base period. The alternate base period is the last four full calendar quarters before your filed. Whichever base period qualified you for benefits is the one the DLWD reviews when determining compensation.
Insured Wages
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The DLWD doesn't review just any wages you earned. It's concerned specifically with the insured wages you earned. Insured wages are those you earned from work insured by Massachusetts' state unemployment insurance laws. This includes most work, but some of the major exceptions are work you are paid by commission only, self-employed work and work performed by a minor child for their parents' business.
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Weekly Benefit Amount
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Your weekly benefit amount -- the amount you are eligible to receive per week on unemployment -- is 50 percent of the average weekly insured wages you earned during your base period. The DLWD calculates this by totaling your insured wages during your base period and dividing it by the weeks covered. It divides that average by two. Massachusetts state laws limit that amount to no more than $629 per week.
Dependent Benefits
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Massachusetts is one of the states that pays an additional stipend for claimants with dependents. A dependent in this context is a minor child who is unemployed and who depends on you for the majority of his financial expenses. You can receive $25 for each dependent child, but the state limits the total you can collect from dependent benefits to 50 percent of your weekly benefit amount. In addition to that, your total weekly benefit is still limited to no more than the state maximum of $629.
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