5 States With the Best Unemployment Benefits in 2024

2. Kansas

In Kansas, the maximum weekly unemployment benefit is set at $549, with a minimum benefit payment of $147. Despite the relatively lower unemployment benefits duration, capped at 16 weeks, the state offers a cost-effective living environment, as reflected in its cost of living index of 86.5. To qualify for benefits, recipients must be unemployed or partially employed, earning less than the total of their weekly unemployment insurance benefits. Kansas has an annual GDP of $211 billion and is home to a population of 2.94 million.