How is unemployment pay rate calculated in NYS - confused about benefit amount formula
I just got approved for unemployment benefits after my construction job ended and I'm trying to understand how they calculated my weekly benefit amount. My notice says I'll get $425 per week but I was making around $75,000 last year. I thought unemployment was supposed to be 50% of your wages? Can someone explain how the NYS Department of Labor actually figures out your benefit rate? I looked at my wage history on my.ny.gov but the math doesn't add up to me.
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Myles Regis
The NYS Department of Labor uses your highest quarter of earnings from your base period (usually the first 4 of the last 5 completed quarters before you filed). They take that highest quarter, divide by 26, and that's your weekly benefit rate - but it's capped at $504 maximum in 2025. So if your highest quarter was say $22,000, you'd get $22,000 ÷ 26 = $846, but since the max is $504, you'd get $504. Your $425 suggests your highest quarter was around $11,050.
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Khalil Urso
•That makes more sense! I had a slow start to last year so my highest quarter probably wasn't that high. Thanks for breaking down the formula.
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Brian Downey
yeah the calculation is weird, its not just 50% of your regular pay like most people think. i found out the hard way when i got way less than expected
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Jacinda Yu
•Exactly, and if you had irregular work or seasonal employment like construction often is, your base period quarters can vary a lot. The NYS Department of Labor looks at completed calendar quarters, not your most recent pay.
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Landon Flounder
I've been trying to figure this out for weeks! My claim shows a different amount than what I calculated and when I try calling NYS Department of Labor I just get hung up on. Has anyone found a good way to actually speak to someone about benefit calculations?
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Callum Savage
•I had the same problem getting through to anyone at NYS Department of Labor. After weeks of trying, I found this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that actually got me connected to an agent who could explain my benefit calculation. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI showing how it works. Saved me so much frustration trying to get through on my own.
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Landon Flounder
•That sounds too good to be true but I'm desperate at this point. Did they charge you a lot?
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Callum Savage
•They focus on the value of actually reaching someone rather than cost. For me it was worth it just to get a real explanation of why my benefits were calculated the way they were.
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Ally Tailer
The whole system is so confusing! I thought I understood it but then my friend got more money than me even though I made more overall. Turns out his timing was better with when his quarters fell.
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Aliyah Debovski
Construction workers often get confused by this because seasonal work creates uneven quarters. Your base period might not include your best earning periods if the timing doesn't line up right with when you filed your claim.
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Maggie Martinez
This is exactly why I wish NYS Department of Labor would provide clearer examples on their website. I'm also in construction and had no idea about the base period quarters thing until I started digging into it. Your $425 weekly benefit actually sounds reasonable if you had some slow quarters mixed in with your higher earning ones. The timing of when you file really does matter - I've heard of people waiting a few weeks to file if they knew a high-earning quarter was about to become part of their base period, though obviously you can't wait too long since benefits are backdated only so far.
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