How much do people get on unemployment benefits in NY - what's the actual weekly amount?
I'm about to file for unemployment for the first time and honestly have no clue what to expect payment-wise. I've been working retail management for 3 years making about $52K annually. Does anyone know how NYS Department of Labor calculates the weekly benefit amount? I keep seeing different numbers online and want to know what real people are actually getting. Also worried about whether my previous job counts since I worked part-time for 6 months before going full-time.
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FireflyDreams
NYS Department of Labor uses your highest quarter earnings from the last 4 quarters to calculate your weekly benefit rate. Generally it's around 50% of your average weekly wage, but there's a maximum cap. For 2025, the max weekly benefit is $504. With your salary, you'd probably get somewhere between $400-450 per week depending on your exact earnings history.
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Oliver Weber
•That's actually higher than I expected! Do they look at gross or net income when calculating?
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Natasha Kuznetsova
I was making about $48K and got $388 per week when I filed last year. The NYS Department of Labor monetary determination letter breaks down exactly how they calculated it. You'll get that letter after you file your initial claim. Just make sure you have all your employment info ready when you apply.
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Oliver Weber
•Good to know about the determination letter. How long did it take to get your first payment?
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Javier Morales
been getting unemployment for 2 months now, getting $425/week. filing weekly claims is pretty easy once you get used to it. just remember you have to certify every week even if you dont work
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Emma Anderson
If you're having trouble getting through to NYS Department of Labor to check your benefit calculation or claim status, I used this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that helped me reach an actual agent. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI showing how it works. Was way easier than trying to call myself and getting hung up on constantly.
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Malik Thompson
•How does that work exactly? Do they just call for you or something?
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Isabella Ferreira
The amount varies A LOT depending on your work history. I only got $195/week because I was working part-time jobs for most of my base period. NYS Department of Labor looks at your earnings from 4 quarters ago, not your most recent work, which is confusing. So if you had low earnings a year ago but higher earnings recently, your benefit might be lower than expected.
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CosmicVoyager
Just remember the money is taxable! Found that out the hard way when I filed my taxes. You can have them withhold 10% for federal taxes when you file your weekly claims.
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Isaiah Cross
Thanks for all this info everyone! I'm actually in a similar boat - been working in customer service for about 2 years making around $45K. One thing I'm wondering about is the waiting period. I heard there might be a one-week waiting period before benefits start? Also, does anyone know if they verify employment with your previous employer right away, or does that happen later in the process? Want to make sure I have realistic expectations for timing.
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