{"h1":"States with the longest unemployment benefits","faq":[{"a":"Massachusetts offers the longest regular unemployment benefits: up to 30 weeks.","q":"Which state ranks first: states with the longest unemployment benefits?"},{"a":"49 states have at least 0 states, so the list has 49 entries.","q":"How many states are ranked?"},{"a":"A state's score is the maximum number of weeks of its regular unemployment insurance program. Each state's own unemployment insurance agency, as checked on the date shown on the state page. In some states the number of weeks falls when the state's unemployment rate is low, so the figure is the most a person can receive.","q":"How is the ranking calculated?"},{"a":"Every month. This is the November 2026 edition. Older editions stay on this site at their own dated addresses.","q":"How often is it updated?"}],"lead":"Massachusetts offers the longest regular unemployment benefits: up to 30 weeks.","minN":0,"rows":[{"n":0,"bar":1,"key":"MA","sub":"","href":"/places/massachusetts","name":"Massachusetts","rank":1,"stats":[{"label":"Maximum weekly benefit","value":"$1,154"},{"label":"Duration varies with unemployment","value":"Yes"},{"label":"Waiting week","value":"Yes"}],"value":30,"change":null,"employers":[],"valueLabel":"30 weeks"},{"n":0,"bar":0.8666666666666667,"key":"AK","sub":"","href":"/places/alaska","name":"Alaska","rank":2,"stats":[{"label":"Maximum weekly benefit","value":"$370"},{"label":"Duration varies with unemployment","value":"No"},{"label":"Waiting week","value":"Yes"}],"value":26,"change":null,"employers":[],"valueLabel":"26 weeks"},{"n":0,"bar":0.8666666666666667,"key":"CA","sub":"","href":"/places/california","name":"California","rank":3,"stats":[{"label":"Maximum weekly 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its regular unemployment insurance program.","Each state's own unemployment insurance agency, as checked on the date shown on the state page. In some states the number of weeks falls when the state's unemployment rate is low, so the figure is the most a person can receive."],"builtAt":"2026-11-04T03:39:09.026Z","edition":"2026-11","measure":"sx_weeks","sources":["Each state's unemployment insurance agency (maximum weekly benefit and weeks, as verified and dated on the state page)"],"baseline":null,"keyFacts":["#1 Massachusetts: 30 weeks","#2 Alaska: 26 weeks","#3 California: 26 weeks","49 states ranked across the United States","Data as of November 2026"],"placeNoun":"states","commentary":["The top ten is tightly packed: Massachusetts leads on 30 weeks, and #10 Indiana is at 26 weeks.","Small differences between neighbouring ranks are not meaningful."],"license":"Free to use and share with a link to https://launchyournextchapter.com/rankings/states-with-the-longest-unemployment-benefits"}