Unemployment and welfare are two completely different things. You're actually paying into unemployment insurance whenever you're employed.
Unemployment isn't going to pay more than minimum wage unless the person collecting was already making well over minimum wage, and even then it's a state to state issue. I know Florida barely pays the equivalent of 40 hours @ minimum wage, regardless of what you were making. I know MA pays roughly half of what you were making, up to ~$600 a week. CA is the same way as MA with a max of $450/wk.