How much do you get if you file for unemployment in NY?
I'm thinking about filing for unemployment benefits through NYS Department of Labor but I have no idea what to expect for payment amounts. My job at a retail store just cut my hours down to 10 hours a week and I can't survive on that. I was making about $18/hour before they reduced my schedule. Does anyone know how much you actually get if you file for unemployment? I've heard different things from people but want to know what's realistic before I go through the whole application process.
13 comments
Join the conversation
Chloe Green
The NYS Department of Labor calculates your weekly benefit amount based on your highest quarter of earnings in your base period. Maximum weekly benefit is $504 as of 2025, but most people get less than that. You take your highest quarter earnings, divide by 26, then that's roughly your weekly amount. So if you made $8,000 in your best quarter, you'd get around $307 per week. You also might qualify for partial unemployment since you're still working reduced hours.
0 coins
Logan Scott
•That actually sounds better than I expected! I think my best quarter was around $7,200 so that would be decent. Do you know if the partial unemployment thing is hard to get approved for?
0 coins
Lucas Adams
just filed last month and got approved for $340 a week, was making around $19/hour full time before I got laid off. the whole process took about 3 weeks to get my first payment but now its pretty regular
0 coins
Harper Hill
•Did you have any issues with the adjudication process? I keep hearing horror stories about claims getting stuck for months.
0 coins
Caden Nguyen
Since you're still working part-time, you'll need to report those hours and earnings each week when you file your weekly claim. NYS Department of Labor has a partial benefit formula - they subtract 25% of your part-time earnings from your weekly benefit amount. So if you get approved for $300/week and earn $200 from your part-time work, they'd subtract $50 (25% of $200) and you'd receive $250 in unemployment. Worth applying since your hours got cut so drastically.
0 coins
Logan Scott
•Oh wow I had no idea you could get partial benefits while still working. That changes everything for my situation!
0 coins
Avery Flores
The NYS Department of Labor system is such a nightmare to deal with though. I've been trying to get through to them for weeks about an issue with my claim and can never reach anyone. If you do file, be prepared for frustration. I actually found this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that helps you get through to agents - 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.
0 coins
Zoe Gonzalez
•Really? That sounds too good to be true. How does something like that even work?
0 coins
Avery Flores
•They basically handle the calling and waiting for you, then connect you when they get through to a real person. I was skeptical too but it actually worked when I needed to resolve an adjudication issue.
0 coins
Ashley Adams
Don't get your hopes up too high about the amounts. I was making $22/hour and only qualified for $285/week because my work history was spotty. Plus you have to do the whole job search requirement thing now - 3 work search activities per week and keep a log. It's not free money, there's definitely hoops to jump through.
0 coins
Logan Scott
•What counts as work search activities? I've never had to do that before.
0 coins
Zoe Gonzalez
yeah the work search thing is annoying but not too bad once you get used to it. applying for jobs online counts, so does going to career fairs or updating your resume on indeed. just keep track of everything in case they audit you
0 coins
Natasha Orlova
I went through this exact same situation last year when my restaurant hours got slashed from 35 to 12 hours per week. At $18/hour you should qualify for a decent amount - probably somewhere in the $280-320 range based on your work history. The partial unemployment is definitely worth applying for since you're still working some hours. Just make sure to keep detailed records of your reduced schedule and earnings. The application process itself isn't too bad, mostly just proving your previous wages and explaining why your hours got cut. Good luck!
0 coins