Losing your job is stressful on many levels, and the state you live in can influence that stress.
Unemployment payments vary greatly from state to state. The most generous state pays out over four times the maximum weekly benefits of the state with the smallest weekly benefit.
The average weekly benefit paid across the entire U.S. in September was $305.15, the U.S. Department of Labor says. But within that average was a wide range, from a low of $113.68 to a high of $479.06.
Here are the Labor Department’s rankings for the month of September, by state, beginning with the least generous state and ending with the state offering the highest maximum weekly unemployment benefit.
50. South Carolina
Average weekly unemployment insurance benefit: $113.68
Initial unemployment insurance claims filed: 24,910
49. Louisiana
Average weekly unemployment insurance benefit: $183.45
Initial unemployment insurance claims filed: 61,824
48. Mississippi
Average weekly unemployment insurance benefit: $186.93
Initial unemployment insurance claims filed: 18,631
47. Tennessee
Average weekly unemployment insurance benefit: $211.60
Initial unemployment insurance claims filed: 44,192
46. North Carolina
Average weekly unemployment insurance benefit: $217.64
Initial unemployment insurance claims filed: 53,164
45. Indiana
Average weekly unemployment insurance benefit: $221.93
Initial unemployment insurance claims filed: 68,211
44. Florida
Average weekly unemployment insurance benefit: $222.91
Initial unemployment insurance claims filed: 160,873
43. West Virginia
Average weekly unemployment insurance benefit: $236.06
Initial unemployment insurance claims filed: 8,488
42. Arizona
Average weekly unemployment insurance benefit: $239.04
Initial unemployment insurance claims filed: 91,377
41. Missouri
Average weekly unemployment insurance benefit: $240.08
Initial unemployment insurance claims filed: 36,578
40. Arkansas
Average weekly unemployment insurance benefit: $240.65
Initial unemployment insurance claims filed: 23,851
39. Delaware
Average weekly unemployment insurance benefit: $240.89
Initial unemployment insurance claims filed: 13,991
38. Georgia
Average weekly unemployment insurance benefit: $255.24
Initial unemployment insurance claims filed: 201,790
37. Alabama
Average weekly unemployment insurance benefit: $257.61
Initial unemployment insurance claims filed: 37,796
36. New Hampshire
Average weekly unemployment insurance benefit: $272.34
Initial unemployment insurance claims filed: 8,921
35. Virginia
Average weekly unemployment insurance benefit: $278.28
Initial unemployment insurance claims filed: 45,040
34. Kentucky
Average weekly unemployment insurance benefit: $281.36
Initial unemployment insurance claims filed: 34,347
33. California
Average weekly unemployment insurance benefit: $282.47
Initial unemployment insurance claims filed: 902,627
32. Wisconsin
Average weekly unemployment insurance benefit: $288.06
Initial unemployment insurance claims filed: 50,918
31. Alaska
Average weekly unemployment insurance benefit: $291.86
Initial unemployment insurance claims filed: 15,048
30. Maine
Average weekly unemployment insurance benefit: $296.10
Initial unemployment insurance claims filed: 6,040
29. Connecticut
Average weekly unemployment insurance benefit: $297.06
Initial unemployment insurance claims filed: 22,627
28. Maryland
Average weekly unemployment insurance benefit: $304.52
Initial unemployment insurance claims filed: 51,244
27. Nebraska
Average weekly unemployment insurance benefit: $307.73
Initial unemployment insurance claims filed: 11,096
26. South Dakota
Average weekly unemployment insurance benefit: $310.59
Initial unemployment insurance claims filed: 1,386
25. New Mexico
Average weekly unemployment insurance benefit: $314.74
Initial unemployment insurance claims filed: 13,265
24. Illinois
Average weekly unemployment insurance benefit: $315.54
Initial unemployment insurance claims filed: 121,523
23. Idaho
Average weekly unemployment insurance benefit: $319.28
Initial unemployment insurance claims filed: 12,890
22. Rhode Island
Average weekly unemployment insurance benefit: $320.27
Initial unemployment insurance claims filed: 12,834
21. Ohio
Average weekly unemployment insurance benefit: $324.21
Initial unemployment insurance claims filed: 65,933
20. Oklahoma
Average weekly unemployment insurance benefit: $327.19
Initial unemployment insurance claims filed: 22,289
19. New York
Average weekly unemployment insurance benefit: $333.37
Initial unemployment insurance claims filed: 366,366
18. Pennsylvania
Average weekly unemployment insurance benefit: $335.91
Initial unemployment insurance claims filed: 96,093
17. Vermont
Average weekly unemployment insurance benefit: $340.34
Initial unemployment insurance claims filed: 2,993
16. Kansas
Average weekly unemployment insurance benefit: $355.53
Initial unemployment insurance claims filed: 65,763
15. Nevada
Average weekly unemployment insurance benefit: $358.52
Initial unemployment insurance claims filed: 34,370
14. Iowa
Average weekly unemployment insurance benefit: $364.34
Initial unemployment insurance claims filed: 22,890
13. Oregon
Average weekly unemployment insurance benefit: $367.43
Initial unemployment insurance claims filed: 24,511
12. Texas
Average weekly unemployment insurance benefit: $372.38
Initial unemployment insurance claims filed: 211,049
11. Montana
Average weekly unemployment insurance benefit: $372.92
Initial unemployment insurance claims filed: 9,141
10. Minnesota
Average weekly unemployment insurance benefit: $377.52
Initial unemployment insurance claims filed: 46,069
9. Colorado
Average weekly unemployment insurance benefit: $382.60
Initial unemployment insurance claims filed: 22,520
8. Michigan
Average weekly unemployment insurance benefit: $385.83
Initial unemployment insurance claims filed: 76,226
7. New Jersey
Average weekly unemployment insurance benefit: $398.60
Initial unemployment insurance claims filed: 106,279
6. Utah
Average weekly unemployment insurance benefit: $401.12
Initial unemployment insurance claims filed: 11,342
5. Massachusetts
Average weekly unemployment insurance benefit: $406.04
Initial unemployment insurance claims filed: 84,802
4. Washington
Average weekly unemployment insurance benefit: $415.56
Initial unemployment insurance claims filed: 80,966
3. Wyoming
Average weekly unemployment insurance benefit: $433.65
Initial unemployment insurance claims filed: 2,859
2. Hawaii
Average weekly unemployment insurance benefit: $444.50
Initial unemployment insurance claims filed: 28,013
1. North Dakota
Average weekly unemployment insurance benefit: $479.06
Initial unemployment insurance claims filed: 3,536
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