How much do you have to make for unemployment benefits in NY?

You need to have earned at least $3,300 in your base period (the first 4 of the last 5 completed calendar quarters before you file). Based on what you described, if you were making around $375-450 per week for 8 months, you should easily meet that requirement. The NYS Department of Labor will calculate your benefit amount based on your highest quarter earnings.

yeah i think its like 3 grand or something but dont quote me on that lol. i qualified when i was making way less than you so you should be fine

The exact requirement is $3,300 in your base period AND you must have worked in at least 2 different calendar quarters during that time. There's also an alternative calculation if you don't meet the regular base period - they can use your most recent 4 quarters instead. When you file your claim online, the NYS Department of Labor system will automatically check your wage records and determine if you qualify.

I had trouble getting through to NYS Department of Labor when I needed to verify my earnings history. If you're having issues reaching them by phone, I used a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that helped me get connected to an actual agent. They have a demo video at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI that shows how it works. Made the whole process much easier than sitting on hold for hours.

The whole NYS Department of Labor system is a joke honestly. They make these requirements so confusing on purpose. I've been dealing with adjudication issues for weeks and nobody can give me a straight answer about anything. Good luck getting clear information from them about earnings requirements or anything else.

Just went through this process myself a few months ago. You should definitely qualify with those earnings - I was making similar wages and had no issues. One tip: when you file online, make sure you have your employment dates exact because they use that to determine which quarters count toward your base period. Also, don't stress too much about the calculations - the system does it automatically once you enter your work history. The hardest part is usually just getting through the initial application, not meeting the earnings threshold.

From what I understand, the $3,300 minimum is correct, but there's actually another way to qualify too. You can meet the earnings requirement if you earned at least $2,200 in one quarter AND your total base period earnings are at least 1.5 times your highest quarter. So if you made $2,200+ in your best quarter and your total was at least $3,300, you'd qualify either way. With $15/hour and 25-30 hours weekly for 8 months, you should easily clear both thresholds. The NYS DOL website has a benefit calculator tool that can give you an estimate before you file your actual claim.