How does NYS Department of Labor calculate benefit amount when unemployment rate is high?
I've been hearing conflicting information about whether the current unemployment rate affects how much you get in weekly benefits from NYS Department of Labor. My friend said when unemployment is really high like it has been, they reduce everyone's benefit amounts to spread the money around more. But that doesn't sound right to me? I'm about to file my first claim and want to know what to expect for my weekly benefit amount. Does the state's overall unemployment rate impact your individual UI payment or is it just based on your previous wages?
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Natasha Petrov
No, your weekly benefit amount is calculated solely based on your base period wages, not the unemployment rate. NYS Department of Labor uses a formula based on your highest quarter earnings divided by 26. The maximum weekly benefit for 2025 is $504. High unemployment rates don't change individual benefit calculations.
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Javier Morales
•Thank you! That makes way more sense. So even if tons of people are filing claims, my amount stays the same based on what I earned?
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Connor O'Brien
your friend is totally wrong about that lol. i got the same amount whether unemployment was 3% or 8% in my area. NYS Department of Labor doesn't change your weekly benefit based on how many other people are claiming
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Amina Diallo
What CAN happen during high unemployment periods is longer processing times and more adjudication delays. When lots of people file claims simultaneously, NYS Department of Labor gets backlogged. But your actual benefit amount? That's locked in based on your wage history from your base period quarters.
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Javier Morales
•Good to know about the delays. How long should I expect if I file now?
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Amina Diallo
•If you have a straightforward claim with no issues, usually 2-3 weeks. But if it goes into adjudication for any reason, could be 4-6 weeks or more depending on their current workload.
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GamerGirl99
I remember during the worst of the pandemic everyone was panicking about reduced benefits but that never happened. The formula stayed exactly the same. High unemployment actually led to EXTENDED benefits, not reduced ones.
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Hiroshi Nakamura
Wait but doesn't the state run out of money if too many people claim at once?? I'm so confused about how this all works and worried my claim won't get approved because there's not enough funding left
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Natasha Petrov
•The unemployment insurance fund is designed to handle fluctuations in claims. States can borrow from federal government if needed. Your individual eligibility and benefit amount aren't affected by fund levels - if you qualify, you get your full calculated amount.
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Isabella Costa
If you're having trouble getting through to NYS Department of Labor to ask questions about your benefit calculation, I had success using claimyr.com. It's a service that calls for you and gets you connected to an actual agent. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI showing how it works. Saved me hours of busy signals when I needed to verify my wage information.
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Javier Morales
•That's really helpful, thanks! I was dreading trying to call them.
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Malik Jenkins
Just to add - your benefit amount is based on your base period which is usually the first 4 of the last 5 completed quarters before you file. So if you file in January 2025, they look at wages from January 2024 through September 2024. The calculation is the same regardless of current economic conditions.
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