How much do you get a month for unemployment benefits in NY?
I'm trying to figure out my budget while I'm between jobs and need to know what to expect from NYS Department of Labor benefits. I made about $52,000 last year working in retail management. Does anyone know roughly how much unemployment pays per month? I've heard it's based on your previous wages but I can't find clear info on the actual dollar amounts. Also wondering if there are any deductions or taxes taken out automatically?
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NebulaNomad
Your weekly benefit rate (WBR) is calculated as 50% of your average weekly wage during your base period, up to the maximum. For 2025, the max weekly benefit in NY is $504. So if you made $52k, that's about $1000/week, so you'd get the maximum $504 per week. Monthly that would be around $2,016-$2,184 depending on how many weeks are in the month.
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Natasha Ivanova
•Thanks! So around $2000 a month sounds right. Do they take taxes out automatically or do I need to set aside money for that?
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NebulaNomad
•You can elect to have 10% federal taxes withheld when you file your weekly claims, but it's optional. I'd recommend doing it to avoid a big tax bill later.
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Javier Garcia
yeah i get like $450 a week so about $1800 monthly but depends on ur past wages obviously
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Emma Taylor
The NYS Department of Labor website has a benefit calculator but honestly it's confusing. I've been getting $380 weekly for the past 2 months and it's barely covering my rent. Make sure you understand the job search requirements too - you need to log 3 work search activities each week or they'll cut you off.
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Natasha Ivanova
•Oh I didn't know about the job search logging requirement. Where do you track that?
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Emma Taylor
•On the my.ny.gov portal when you file your weekly claim. You have to list the employers you contacted, dates, and method of contact.
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Malik Robinson
If you're having trouble getting through to NYS Department of Labor to ask about your specific benefit amount, I used a service called Claimyr that got me connected to an actual agent. You can check it out at claimyr.com - they have a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI that shows how it works. Way better than sitting on hold for hours just to get disconnected.
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Isabella Silva
•How much does that cost though? Seems like something that should be free.
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Malik Robinson
•It was worth it for me since I was stuck in adjudication for weeks and couldn't get anyone on the phone. Sometimes you just need to talk to a real person to sort things out.
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Ravi Choudhury
Don't forget you can only collect for 26 weeks total unless there's some extended benefits program running. And if you work part-time while collecting, they'll reduce your benefits dollar for dollar after you earn more than $143 per week.
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CosmosCaptain
The whole system is so confusing!! I've been trying to figure out if my freelance work affects my benefits and can't get a straight answer from anyone. The NYS Department of Labor phone lines are always busy and their website doesn't explain part-time work scenarios clearly.
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NebulaNomad
•For freelance work, you need to report all earnings when you file your weekly claim. They'll calculate partial benefits based on how much you earned that week.
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