How much do you get for unemployment NYC - weekly benefit amounts?
I'm about to file for unemployment for the first time and I live in NYC. Does anyone know how much the weekly benefit amount is? I was making about $65,000 a year at my last job before I got laid off. I'm trying to figure out my budget while I look for work. Also wondering if living in NYC vs upstate makes any difference in the amount you get from NYS Department of Labor?
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Sarah Ali
Your weekly benefit amount is calculated based on your earnings in your base period, not where you live in NY. For 2025, the maximum weekly benefit is $504. With your salary of $65k, you'll likely get close to the maximum. NYS Department of Labor uses a formula where your weekly benefit is roughly 1/26th of your highest quarter earnings in your base period, up to that $504 cap.
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Megan D'Acosta
•Thanks! So it doesn't matter that I'm in NYC vs like Albany or something? That's good to know.
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Ryan Vasquez
yeah i think its around $500 max but depends on what you made before. i was getting like $350 a week when i was on unemployment last year
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Avery Saint
The benefit amount is the same statewide - NYC rent might be higher but NYS Department of Labor doesn't adjust for cost of living by region. You can actually estimate your amount on the my.ny.gov website before you file. They have a benefit calculator that's pretty accurate if you know your quarterly earnings from last year.
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Megan D'Acosta
•I'll check out that calculator, didn't know they had one online. Really helpful!
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Taylor Chen
I've been trying to get through to NYS Department of Labor for weeks to ask about my benefit amount calculation because something seems wrong with mine. The phone lines are always busy and I keep getting disconnected. Has anyone found a way to actually talk to someone there about benefit calculations?
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Keith Davidson
•I had the same problem until I found this service called Claimyr at claimyr.com. They help you get through to NYS Department of Labor agents by calling for you. I was skeptical at first but they actually got me connected within a few hours and I was able to get my benefit amount issue resolved. There's a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI that shows how it works. Saved me so much frustration!
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Taylor Chen
•Interesting, I might have to try that. I'm desperate at this point because my benefits seem way lower than they should be.
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Ezra Bates
Just so you know, even if you get the max $504, that's only for 26 weeks unless there's some extension program running. Make sure you're actively job searching because they do check on that now more than they used to.
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Sofia Peña
One thing to keep in mind is that your benefit amount will also depend on when you earned that $65k - they look at your "base period" which is typically the first 4 of the last 5 completed calendar quarters before you file. So if you file now, they'd look at your earnings from roughly Q1 2024 through Q4 2024. If you had periods of lower earnings or gaps in employment during that time, it could affect your weekly benefit amount even if your most recent salary was $65k.
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Jamal Wilson
•That's a really important point about the base period that I hadn't considered! I was employed for most of 2024 but I did have a brief gap between jobs in Q2. Do you know if that gap would significantly impact my benefit calculation, or do they just look at the quarters where I actually had earnings?
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Raúl Mora
•@Jamal Wilson They calculate your weekly benefit amount based on the total wages you earned in your highest-earning quarter during that base period, then divide by 26. So if you had a gap in Q2 but worked the other quarters, they d'use your highest quarter likely (Q1, Q3, or Q4 for) the calculation. The gap itself won t'hurt you - they re'just looking for your best quarter of earnings within that timeframe. You should still be in good shape for a decent benefit amount if you were earning well in the quarters you did work.
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Lydia Bailey
Just wanted to add that you should file as soon as possible since there's usually a one-week waiting period before you start receiving benefits. Also, make sure you have all your employment records ready - they'll need your W-2s or pay stubs from the base period to verify your earnings. The sooner you get everything submitted correctly, the faster they can process your claim and calculate your exact weekly benefit amount. Good luck with your job search!
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Jessica Nguyen
•This is really helpful advice! I didn't realize there was a waiting period. Quick question - when you say have W-2s and pay stubs ready, do they need physical copies or can I upload digital versions during the online application? Also, should I gather documents from all employers during the base period or just the most recent one?
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