How much do you get for filing unemployment benefits in NY - confused about weekly amounts
I just lost my job at a retail store after working there for 2 years and I'm trying to figure out if it's worth filing for unemployment. I was making about $18 per hour working around 35 hours a week. Does anyone know how much the weekly benefit amount would be? I've heard different things from coworkers and I'm getting confused about the calculations. Also wondering if there are any fees or costs for filing the claim itself? Really need to know what to expect before I start the process.
12 comments
Join the conversation
Anastasia Kuznetsov
NYS Department of Labor calculates your weekly benefit rate based on your highest earning quarter in your base period. It's roughly 50% of your average weekly wage, but there's a maximum cap. For 2025, the maximum weekly benefit is $504. With your wage history, you'd probably get somewhere between $280-350 per week depending on your exact earnings pattern. There's no cost to file - it's completely free.
0 coins
Diego Fernández
•Thanks! So if I was making around $630 per week gross, I'd get maybe $315 weekly? That would actually help a lot with my rent and bills.
0 coins
Sean Fitzgerald
yeah i got like $320 a week when i filed last year, was making similar to you. just make sure you file right away because there's a waiting week and the sooner you start the process the better
0 coins
Diego Fernández
•Good point about filing quickly. How long did it take for your first payment to come through?
0 coins
Sean Fitzgerald
•took about 3 weeks total but that included the waiting week. now they process things faster usually
0 coins
Zara Khan
The exact amount depends on your earnings history in the base period, which is typically the first four of the last five completed calendar quarters. NYS Department of Labor looks at your highest quarter earnings and divides by 26 to get your weekly benefit rate. You can use the online calculator on the my.ny.gov website to get an estimate before filing. Remember you'll also need to meet the job search requirements - 3 work search activities per week.
0 coins
Diego Fernández
•I didn't know about the job search requirements. What counts as a work search activity?
0 coins
Zara Khan
•Job applications, networking events, career fairs, interviews, even some training programs count. You need to keep a log of all activities in your my.ny.gov account.
0 coins
MoonlightSonata
omg the system is so confusing! I tried to figure out my benefit amount online and got like 5 different numbers. honestly just file and see what happens, at least you'll know for sure
0 coins
Mateo Gonzalez
I was struggling to get through to NYS Department of Labor to ask similar questions about my benefit calculation. The phone lines are always busy and I kept getting disconnected. Someone on here mentioned using claimyr.com to help get through to an actual agent - they have some kind of system that calls you back when an agent is available. There's a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI that shows how it works. Might be worth checking out if you need to speak to someone directly about your specific situation.
0 coins
Diego Fernández
•Interesting, I'll look into that if I run into issues. Hopefully the online filing process is straightforward enough that I won't need to call.
0 coins
Nia Williams
Just remember that unemployment is taxable income so you might want to have them withhold taxes from your weekly payments. You can set that up when you file your initial claim or change it later in your account settings.
0 coins