Confused about how does the base period affect my unemployment benefits - NYS Department of Labor calculation help
I'm trying to understand how my base period is calculated by NYS Department of Labor and why it matters for my weekly benefit amount. I worked part-time for most of 2023 but had a really good full-time job from September 2024 until I got laid off last month. My concern is that my base period might not include my highest earning quarters which would mean lower benefits. Does anyone know if there's a way to request an alternate base period or if NYS Department of Labor automatically uses whichever calculation gives you higher benefits? I'm seeing conflicting information online about whether recent wages count.
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Fatima Al-Mansour
The base period for NYS Department of Labor is typically the first four of the last five completed calendar quarters before you filed your claim. So if you filed in January 2025, your base period would be January 2024 through December 2024. Your September-December 2024 earnings should definitely be included. The alternate base period uses the last four completed quarters if it gives you a higher benefit amount, and NYS Department of Labor will automatically calculate both to give you the better option.
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Giovanni Rossi
•That's really helpful! So they automatically check both calculations? I was worried I'd have to request the alternate base period separately.
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Dylan Evans
yeah the base period thing tripped me up too when i filed... i think they use whatever gives you more money but honestly the whole system is confusing
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Sofia Gomez
If you're having trouble getting clear information about your specific base period calculation, I had success using a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) to actually speak with a NYS Department of Labor representative. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI that shows how it works. I was able to get my exact benefit calculation explained instead of guessing from the online portal.
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StormChaser
•How much does that cost though? I'm already stressed about money since getting laid off.
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Sofia Gomez
•It's not about the cost - it's about actually getting through to someone who can explain your specific situation. The regular phone lines are impossible to get through on.
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Dmitry Petrov
THE NYS DEPARTMENT OF LABOR SYSTEM IS DELIBERATELY CONFUSING!!! They make it impossible to understand your benefits on purpose. I've been fighting with them for months about my base period calculation and getting nowhere. The online system shows one amount but when I finally got through on the phone they told me something completely different.
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Ava Williams
•I feel you on the frustration but in my experience once you understand the base period rules it makes sense. The key is making sure all your wages are properly reported by employers.
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Miguel Castro
Wait so if I just started a new job in November but got laid off in December, those wages won't count toward my base period? That seems really unfair since that was my highest paying job.
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Fatima Al-Mansour
•That's exactly why the alternate base period exists - it includes more recent wages. NYS Department of Labor will use whichever calculation (standard or alternate) gives you the higher weekly benefit amount. Your November-December wages would be included in the alternate base period calculation.
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Abigail bergen
I went through this exact situation last year! The key thing to remember is that NYS Department of Labor uses quarters, not months, for base period calculations. So your September-December 2024 earnings would fall into Q3 and Q4 of 2024, which should definitely be included in your base period if you filed recently. The system automatically calculates both standard and alternate base periods and gives you whichever results in higher benefits - you don't need to request anything special. Just make sure all your employers properly reported your wages to the state, as that's usually where discrepancies come from.
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