How much do you have to make to file unemployment in NY - confused about income requirements
I'm trying to figure out if I even qualify to file for unemployment benefits with NYS Department of Labor. I worked part-time at a retail job for about 8 months last year making around $15/hour but only got maybe 20-25 hours per week. My total earnings were probably around $6,500 for the whole year. Is there a minimum amount you need to have earned to be eligible for UI benefits? I keep seeing different numbers online and the my.ny.gov website is confusing me. Does anyone know what the actual income threshold is for filing an unemployment claim in New York?
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Emily Thompson
You need to have earned at least $2,600 in covered wages during your base period to qualify for regular unemployment benefits in NY. Your base period is typically the first 4 of the last 5 completed calendar quarters before you file. With $6,500 in earnings, you should meet the minimum wage requirement, but you also need to have worked in at least 2 quarters of your base period.
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Jacob Lee
•Thanks! I did work across multiple quarters so that should be okay. How do I know what my base period actually is though?
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Sophie Hernandez
yeah you should be fine, I made way less than that and still got approved for benefits last year
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Daniela Rossi
The wage requirement is just one part of eligibility. You also need to be able and available for work, actively seeking employment, and meet the job search requirements. Since you worked part-time, make sure you understand how that affects your weekly benefit amount calculation. NYS Department of Labor will look at your highest earning quarter to determine your weekly benefit rate.
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Ryan Kim
•Wait, what are the job search requirements exactly? I thought you just had to apply to jobs but nobody ever explained the specifics to me when I filed my claim.
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Zoe Walker
I had trouble getting through to NYS Department of Labor when I had questions about my earnings history and whether I qualified. If you need to speak with someone directly about your specific situation, I found claimyr.com really helpful - they have a service that gets you through to actual NYS Department of Labor agents without the usual wait times. There's even a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI showing how it works. Saved me hours of trying to call myself.
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Jacob Lee
•That sounds too good to be true, how much does something like that cost?
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Zoe Walker
•It's worth checking out their site for the details, but honestly after spending 3 days trying to get through on my own it was a relief to actually talk to someone who could look at my account.
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Elijah Brown
The whole system is ridiculous anyway. They make it so confusing on purpose so people won't file claims. I earned plenty to qualify but still had to jump through hoops for months just to get what I was entitled to. Good luck dealing with NYS Department of Labor bureaucracy!
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Emily Thompson
To answer your original question more specifically - you need both the $2,600 minimum AND wages in at least 2 quarters of your base period. You can check your wage history by logging into my.ny.gov and looking at your unemployment services account. This will show exactly what quarters NYS Department of Labor has on record for you.
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Jacob Lee
•Perfect, I'll log in and check that tonight. Thanks for the clear explanation!
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GalaxyGuardian
One thing that might help clarify your base period - it's usually the first 4 of the last 5 completed calendar quarters before you file your claim. So if you file in January 2025, your base period would typically be January 2024 through December 2024. But if you don't have enough wages in that period, you might be able to use an "alternate base period" which would be the last 4 completed quarters. The my.ny.gov portal should show you exactly which quarters they're using for your calculation once you log in.
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Aria Khan
•This is really helpful! I didn't realize there was an alternate base period option if you don't have enough wages in the regular base period. That could make a big difference for people who started working more recently or had gaps in employment. Do you know if there are any downsides to using the alternate base period, like lower benefit amounts or anything like that?
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