Unemployment Benefits Compensation

What is unemployment compensation? Think of it as your unemployment benefits, or the money you are receiving every week while making your claim. It is the result of your employer successfully paying their unemployment taxes and your reward for filing properly.

However, if you are interested in understanding the unemployment benefit amount you may receive from the Maine Department of Labor, you need to know how to gauge two things: your Weekly Benefit Amount (WBA) and your Maximum Benefit Amount (MBA). The first is how much you will make every week, while the second is the limitation of your benefits.

Calculating both of these amounts is fairly easy. Doing so requires knowing how to gauge your WBA and then using that number to calculate your MBA.

Calculating Maine Unemployment Benefit Amounts

Determine Your Weekly Benefit Amount

Start by using your pay stubs to determine your two highest paying quarters over the last year. Add up the wages of these two quarters and divide by two to get the average. Now divide this average by 22 and round-down to the nearest whole dollar.

Your WBA can be no higher than $410, though you can add an additional $10 per dependent per week up to five dependents.

EXAMPLE: If your two highest quarters were $12,437 and $9,541, add them together to get $21,978. Divide that by two to get $10,989, the average of the two quarters. Divide that amount by 22 to get $499.50. Since this is higher than $410 (the maximum WBA you can receive for weekly unemployment benefits), you will receive the latter amount.

Determine Your Maximum Benefit Amount

Your Maximum Benefit Amount (MBA) is easily calculated by multiplying your WBA by 26. This number is the maximum number of weeks you can currently claim unemployment benefits in Maine.

EXAMPLE: If your WBA was $350, your MBA would be $9,100 ($350 x 26). The maximum you can earn is $410 x 26, or $10,660. This does not include dependent additions, which will increase your WBA and your MBA slightly.