How much are unemployment checks in NY - what should I expect for weekly benefits?
Just got laid off from my job at a manufacturing plant in Buffalo and I'm trying to figure out what my unemployment benefits will be. I was making about $52,000 a year ($1,000 per week) before taxes. Does anyone know how they calculate the weekly benefit amount? I heard it's based on your highest quarter but I'm not sure how that works. Really stressed about making my rent and car payment while I look for work.
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Gianna Scott
NYS Department of Labor calculates your weekly benefit rate using your highest earning quarter from your base period. They take that quarter's earnings, divide by 26, then you get about half of that amount. With your salary, you're probably looking at somewhere around $400-450 per week, but the maximum in NY is $504 per week as of 2025. You can get a better estimate by logging into your my.ny.gov account once you file your claim.
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Edwards Hugo
•Thanks, that's really helpful! So even though I was making $1000/week, the max caps it at $504? That's going to be tight but at least it's something.
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Alfredo Lugo
yeah the maximum sucks, i was making way more than that and still only got like $480 something per week. better than nothing i guess but definitely not enough to live on long term
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Sydney Torres
The benefit calculation can be confusing. Your base period is typically the first four of the last five completed calendar quarters before you filed. NYS Department of Labor looks at which quarter you earned the most, divides that by 26 weeks, then gives you roughly 50% of that weekly amount. But remember, unemployment benefits are taxable income, so you might want to have taxes withheld or set money aside for tax season.
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Kaitlyn Jenkins
•Wait, I thought it was based on your last job's salary? This quarter thing is confusing me. What if I only worked at my current job for 3 months?
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Sydney Torres
•If you haven't worked long enough to establish a base period, you might not qualify for regular unemployment benefits. NYS Department of Labor requires sufficient work history and earnings during the base period. You'd need to check your wage history on the my.ny.gov portal to see if you have enough qualifying wages.
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Caleb Bell
I had such a hard time getting through to NYS Department of Labor when I had questions about my benefit amount calculation. Kept calling and either got busy signals or got disconnected after waiting on hold for hours. Finally used this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that actually got me connected to a real person at NYS Department of Labor. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI showing how it works. Was able to get my questions answered about why my benefit amount seemed lower than expected.
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Danielle Campbell
•How much did that cost? Seems sketchy to pay someone just to make a phone call.
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Caleb Bell
•It's definitely worth it when you're stuck and can't get answers any other way. Way better than spending weeks trying to get through on your own.
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Rhett Bowman
Don't forget you can also qualify for additional benefits sometimes. When I was on unemployment last year I also got help with my electric bill through HEAP and food assistance. Every little bit helps when you're only getting half your normal income.
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