Not all unemployed people get unemployment benefits; in some states, very few do
(Recipiency rates fell in all but nine states between February and March, reflecting the sharp increase in unemployment and the lag time between losing one's job and first collecting benefits.)
States and territories typically calculate a person's weekly benefit amount as some percentage of their pre-unemployment earnings, but those benefits are capped. The caps vary widely too, from $823 a week in Massachusetts to $235 a week in Mississippi and $190 a week in Puerto Rico. (Some states give extra benefits for dependent children and other family members, each according to their own rules and restrictions.)
Regional differences also show up in maximum benefit amounts: Seven of the 10 states with the lowest maximum weekly benefits ($350 or less) are in the Southeast,
while nearly all the states with the 10 highest maximums are in the Northeast or along the nation's northern tier.
There's less variation in how long people can collect benefits. Before COVID-19 began ravaging the economy, most states had set their standard duration of benefits at 26 weeks; 10 states (six of them in the South) had shorter limits, while two had longer ones (Montana at 28 weeks, and Massachusetts at 30 under certain conditions). Since the start of the pandemic, three states (Georgia, Kansas and Michigan) have temporarily raised their caps to 26 weeks.
Note: The chart “States set different limits on how long residents can receive unemployment benefits” was updated April 27, 2020, to more accurately reflect unemployment laws in Kansas and Idaho prior to changes resulting from the COVID-19 outbreak.
