How much do you get weekly for unemployment benefits in NY?
I'm thinking about filing for unemployment but I have no idea how much money I'd actually get each week. I make about $850 a week at my current job but I'm worried they might let me go next month. Does anyone know how NYS Department of Labor calculates the weekly benefit amount? Is it like half your salary or something different? I've never been on unemployment before so I'm completely lost about how this works.
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Yuki Sato
The NYS Department of Labor calculates your weekly benefit amount based on your earnings from the highest quarter in your base period. Maximum weekly benefit in 2025 is $504. They take your highest quarter earnings and divide by 26 to get your weekly rate, but it can't exceed the maximum. So if you're making $850/week consistently, you'd probably get close to the max depending on your work history.
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Ethan Wilson
•Thanks! So the base period is like the last year of work? And what's a quarter in this context?
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Carmen Flores
i think its about 50% of what you make but dont quote me on that lol. when i was on UI last year i was getting like $320 a week but i wasnt making that much at my job
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Andre Dubois
It's actually more complicated than just 50%. NYS Department of Labor uses your base period which is the first 4 of the last 5 completed calendar quarters before you file. They look at your highest earning quarter during that time and divide by 26. There's also a minimum weekly benefit of $104. You can use the benefit calculator on the my.ny.gov website to get an estimate before you file your claim.
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Ethan Wilson
•That calculator sounds really helpful! I'll definitely check that out before I do anything.
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CyberSamurai
Just be prepared for the NYS Department of Labor system to be a nightmare if you do file. I've been trying to reach someone about my claim for weeks and can never get through on the phone. The automated system hangs up on you constantly and the callback feature never works.
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Zoe Alexopoulos
•I had the same problem with calling NYS Department of Labor until someone told me about claimyr.com. It's a service that helps you get through to an actual agent. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI that shows how it works. I was skeptical at first but it actually got me connected within a few hours when I'd been trying for days on my own.
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CyberSamurai
•Interesting, I might have to try that. Getting through to NYS Department of Labor feels impossible otherwise.
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Jamal Carter
The whole system is designed to discourage people from claiming what they're entitled to. Even if you qualify for $500 a week, good luck actually getting it without jumping through a million hoops. NYS Department of Labor makes everything as difficult as possible.
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Mei Liu
Same boat here! I'm also trying to figure out how much I'd get if I lose my job. Did you end up using that calculator someone mentioned?
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Ethan Wilson
•Not yet but I'm planning to check it out this weekend. I'll let you know what I find out!
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Mia Rodriguez
Just want to add that the $504 maximum weekly benefit amount mentioned earlier is correct for 2025, but keep in mind that's the gross amount before any taxes are taken out. You can choose to have federal taxes withheld (10%) and state taxes (2.5%) from your benefits, or you can receive the full amount and handle taxes when you file your return. Also, if you're making $850/week now, make sure you have enough work history - you need to have earned at least $2,600 in your base period to qualify for benefits at all.
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