Lost your job in Massachusetts? How unemployment works

Massachusetts pays regular unemployment insurance through the Massachusetts Department of Unemployment Assistance. Weekly benefits run up to $1,154 for up to 30 weeks. Total benefit credit is the lower of 30 times the weekly amount or 36% of base-period wages, so many claimants get fewer than 30 weeks. The maximum is fixed at 30 weeks. 1 unpaid waiting week. Last checked October 16, 2026.

What to do this week

File your claim now. Apply as soon as you lose your job or your hours are reduced. Start requesting weekly benefits right after you apply; do not wait for approval. You can file online, by phone. Open the DUA filing page or call 877-626-6800 (Call Center Monday to Thursday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. (no Friday calls since Aug 2025); TeleCert line 617-626-6338 daily 6 a.m. to 10 p.m.).
Gather your records. The agency will ask for your last employers, dates and pay. To qualify: The DUA eligibility page says you should have earned at least $6,300 over the last 12 months.
Start certifying every week. Certify every week (after the week ends, from Sunday on) online or by calling the TeleCert line at 617-626-6338; you can file up to 3 weeks late, and 3 missed weeks in a row closes the claim. Report at least 3 work search activities each week when you certify; the only exception is DUA-approved training.
Line up other help. Massachusetts SNAP income limits, Massachusetts health coverage.

Massachusetts unemployment at a glance

Agency: Massachusetts Department of Unemployment Assistance (DUA)
Weekly benefit: up to $1,154 (table in force from October 4, 2026)
Most weeks: 30 — Total benefit credit is the lower of 30 times the weekly amount or 36% of base-period wages, so many claimants get fewer than 30 weeks. The maximum is fixed at 30 weeks.
Waiting week: The first week you certify is a unpaid waiting week; you must still certify and meet eligibility. Your first payment is for the second week.
Appeal deadline: File within 10 days of the mailing date on the determination letter; a request within 30 days may be accepted for good reason, and later only in very limited cases. A later appeal to the Board of Review has a 30 calendar day deadline.
Spanish / Chinese help: DUA information is offered in 12 languages including Spanish and Chinese (Simplified) at https://www.mass.gov/dua-multilingual-services, including the benefits guide (P2594) and the how-to-apply form. Translation help by phone is at 877-626-6800, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday to Thursday, or in person by appointment.

How much you could get

As of Oct 4, 2026 the maximum weekly benefit is $1,154 (older DUA pages still show $1,105). A dependency allowance of up to $25 per child per week is added for dependents you mainly support. How it is figured: About 50% of average weekly wage: add your two highest base-period quarters, divide by 26 (or the highest quarter divided by 13 if you worked only 1 or 2 quarters), then divide by 2, up to the maximum.

At the top of the table — $1,154 a week for 30 weeks — the most a claim can pay is $34,620. That is a ceiling, not a typical claim; most people get less because the amount follows past wages (an allowance for dependents can raise it).

Who qualifies

Base period. Primary: the last 4 completed calendar quarters before you apply. Alternate: the last 3 completed quarters plus the current quarter up to the day you apply (used automatically if you do not qualify on the primary period, or on request if it raises benefits by at least 10%).
Work and wages. The DUA eligibility page says you should have earned at least $6,300 over the last 12 months.
If you quit. Quitting disqualifies you until you work at least 8 weeks and earn 8 times your weekly benefit amount, unless you show good cause attributable to the employer.
If you were fired. Discharge for deliberate misconduct in wilful disregard of the employer's interest, or a knowing violation of a reasonable, uniformly enforced policy, has the same disqualification (8 weeks of work and 8 times the weekly benefit).
Part-time, gig and self-employed work. Part-time work (including rideshare and delivery apps) is allowed; earnings above one-third of your weekly benefit are deducted. Self-employment income and independent contracting or consulting income cannot be used to establish a claim, but you may still collect if you start self-employment while claiming.

Weekly certification, taxes and appeals

How to file: You can apply online through Unemployment Services for Workers or over the phone at 877-626-6800. Help in person is by appointment (for example at the Boston Re-Employment Center).
Weekly certification: Certify every week (after the week ends, from Sunday on) online or by calling the TeleCert line at 617-626-6338; you can file up to 3 weeks late, and 3 missed weeks in a row closes the claim.
Work search: Report at least 3 work search activities each week when you certify; the only exception is DUA-approved training.
Taxes: Benefits are taxable and DUA does not withhold unless you ask: 10% federal and 5% Massachusetts rates are available, and a 1099-G is mailed in January.
State withholding: optional, 5%
If you are denied: DUA Hearings Department (online in your Unemployment Services account, or by mail); then the Board of Review Keep certifying every week while the appeal is pending.
Overpayments: Overpayments must be repaid (payment plan available), or you can request a waiver if you were not at fault and repayment would be unfair; fault or fraud cases add 12% interest and a 15% penalty, and DUA can take tax refunds and up to 50% of later benefits.

Good to know in Massachusetts

Minimum weekly benefit not found: the statute's low-wage table in G.L. c.151A 29(a) is an image and DUA pages give no floor, so weeklyMin is null.
Spanish/Chinese flags are inferred from DUA's multilingual services page existing; not itemized in the text reviewed.
DUA eligibility and FAQ pages still say $1,105; the 'How benefits are determined' page says $1,154 as of Oct 4, 2026 and is used here.
Most applications take about 3 to 4 weeks; the DUA Call Center does not answer calls on Fridays.
Further appeal after the Board of Review is to a Massachusetts District Court or the Boston Municipal Court.

Sources

DUA How unemployment insurance benefits are determined (read October 16, 2026)
DUA Unemployment insurance eligibility (read October 16, 2026)
DUA FAQs about unemployment insurance for workers (read October 16, 2026)
DUA What to expect after you apply (read October 16, 2026)
DUA Appeal an unemployment decision as a claimant (read October 16, 2026)
DUA Tax responsibilities while collecting unemployment benefits (read October 16, 2026)
DUA guide P2594 (Rev. 05-20-25) (read October 16, 2026)
M.G.L. c.151A section 25 (read October 16, 2026)
M.G.L. c.151A section 29 (read October 16, 2026)
DUA Multilingual Services (read October 16, 2026)

Legal and agency information, not legal advice. Rules and benefit tables change — confirm with DUA before you rely on a number. How we check: methodology.