The NYS Department of Labor system is so confusing with these calculations! I swear they make it complicated on purpose. I've been on unemployment twice and both times the amount seemed random until someone explained the highest quarter thing to me. At least your rate sounds decent - mine was only $287 because I had been working part-time before I got laid off.

I went through this same confusion last year! The calculation is actually pretty straightforward once you understand it. They look at your "base period" which is typically the first 4 of the last 5 completed calendar quarters before you filed. Then they take your highest earning quarter from that period and divide by 26. So if your highest quarter was around $9,490, that would get you to about $365/week ($9,490 ÷ 26 = $365). Both your main job and part-time work count as long as unemployment taxes were withheld. The key thing is making sure all your employers reported your wages correctly - sometimes there are delays or errors that can affect your calculation.

UPDATE: Just wanted to let everyone know that my payment DID go to my new bank account today (Tuesday) without any issues! Changed on Thursday, certified Sunday, paid Tuesday in the new account. So it seems like if you update a few days before certifying, it should process in time. Thanks everyone for your help and advice!

Congrats on getting it sorted! This is really helpful info - I'm in a similar situation where I need to change my direct deposit soon and was worried about the timing. Good to know that changing it a few days before certification seems to work. Did you get any kind of confirmation email or notification that the change went through, or did you just have to wait and see if the money showed up in the right place?

Yeah you should be good if youve been honest. The system flags weird stuff automatically anyway so if there was a problem youd probably know by now

I went through something similar and was constantly worried about overpayments. What helped me was calling the NYS DOL office (when I finally got through) and asking them to review my account to make sure everything looked correct. They were actually pretty helpful and confirmed that as long as I was reporting accurately, I shouldn't worry. Also, keep in mind that if there ever is an issue, they have to give you proper notice and a chance to appeal before demanding repayment. The horror stories you hear are usually from people who either made mistakes or didn't respond to notices properly.

Also remember you can collect for up to 26 weeks in NY (longer if there are extensions), and you need to do the weekly job search requirements. Make sure you keep track of your job applications because they can ask for proof at any time.

Just wanted to add that if you're in marketing like Wesley, you might want to look into freelance or contract work while collecting benefits. In NY, you can earn up to 25% of your weekly benefit rate without it affecting your unemployment payments. So with a $504 weekly benefit, you could earn about $126 per week from side work. This can help bridge the gap financially while you're job hunting. Just make sure to report any earnings when you do your weekly certification.

just had a baby last year and yeah you cant get unemployment while on maternity leave but definitely look into the disability thing someone mentioned above

I went through something similar when I had my second child. The key thing to understand is that unemployment requires you to be actively seeking work and available to start immediately, which you obviously can't do while recovering from childbirth. However, you might want to look into New York State Disability Insurance (DBL) - this covers short-term disability for pregnancy-related conditions including recovery time after delivery (usually 6-8 weeks for vaginal delivery, longer for C-section). You should also check if your employer has been deducting for Paid Family Leave from your paychecks - even small companies participate in this program. If they have, you could potentially get partial wage replacement. I'd recommend calling the NY State Department of Labor's disability line directly rather than the unemployment line to get accurate information about your specific situation.