How much do you get of unemployment benefits in NY - confused about benefit calculations

NYS Department of Labor calculates your weekly benefit rate based on your highest quarter of earnings in your base period, which is usually the first 4 of the last 5 completed quarters before you filed. They take that highest quarter, divide by 26, then you get about half of that amount as your weekly benefit. There's also a maximum weekly benefit amount that changes each year - for 2025 it's $504 per week.

You also need to make sure you worked enough to qualify. In NY you need to have earned at least $2,600 in your base period and worked in at least 2 quarters. Since you worked for over a year total you should be fine on that part. The weekly amount does seem low when you first see it but remember you might also qualify for partial benefits if you get part-time work.

I had such a hard time getting through to NYS Department of Labor to ask about my benefit calculation when I first applied. Spent hours on hold just to get disconnected. Finally used this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that helped me get through to an actual agent who explained everything. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI showing how it works. Made the whole process so much easier than trying to call myself.

Just remember you have to report ANY work you do while collecting unemployment, even if it's just a few hours. They'll reduce your benefit for that week but you might still get something. And you have to do the job search requirements too - 3 work search activities per week unless you're on standby with your employer.