How much do u get paid for unemployment benefits in NY?
hey everyone, just got laid off from my retail job last week and trying to figure out what to expect. does anyone know how much the weekly unemployment payments are in new york? i was making about $18/hour working 35 hours a week. will i get like half of that or is there some formula? also how long does it take to start getting payments after you file? really stressed about rent next month
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Emma Taylor
Your weekly benefit amount depends on your highest quarter of earnings in your base period. NYS Department of Labor calculates it as roughly 50% of your average weekly wage, but there's a maximum of $504 per week for 2025. Since you were making around $630 weekly ($18 x 35 hours), you'd probably get somewhere in the $315-350 range per week. You can get benefits for up to 26 weeks typically.
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Javier Garcia
•oh wow thats actually more than i thought! do you know if that $504 max includes the federal stuff too or is that just the state amount?
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Malik Robinson
The payment timeline varies but usually takes 2-3 weeks after filing your initial claim if everything goes smoothly. Make sure you're filing your weekly claims every week even while waiting for approval. If your claim goes into adjudication for any reason, it can take much longer - I've seen people wait 6-8 weeks. The key is to respond quickly to any requests for information from NYS Department of Labor.
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Isabella Silva
•THIS! I made the mistake of not filing weekly claims while waiting and it messed up my whole timeline. Even if you haven't heard anything back, keep certifying every week or you'll lose those weeks forever.
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Ravi Choudhury
ugh the whole system is such a mess... took me FOREVER to get through to anyone at NYS Department of Labor when my claim got stuck. if you run into issues trying to reach them by phone, i ended up using this service called claimyr.com that actually got me connected to a real person. they have a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI showing how it works. saved me hours of calling and getting hung up on
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CosmosCaptain
•never heard of that but honestly might be worth it, the NYS Department of Labor phone system is absolutely terrible. did they charge you a lot for it?
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Ravi Choudhury
•they don't require any personal info upfront which was nice, and honestly after spending days trying to get through myself it was totally worth it to actually talk to someone who could help
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Freya Johansen
Just want to add that you need to be actively looking for work and keeping a job search log. NYS Department of Labor requires you to make at least 3 work search contacts per week and be ready to prove it if they ask. Don't skip this part or they can disqualify you and make you pay everything back.
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Javier Garcia
•wait really? i thought that requirement got suspended during covid. so i have to apply to 3 jobs every single week?
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Freya Johansen
•Yes, the work search requirement came back in 2021. It's 3 work search activities per week, not necessarily applications - can include job fairs, networking events, interviews, etc. But most people just do applications since it's easier to document.
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Omar Fawzi
i got like $380 a week when i was on unemployment last year, was making similar to you. took about 2 weeks to get my first payment but then it was pretty regular after that
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CosmosCaptain
Make sure you have all your employment history ready when you file - they'll ask for details about your last 18 months of work. If you worked multiple jobs or had gaps, have explanations ready. The more complete info you give upfront, the less likely your claim will get flagged for adjudication review.
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