How much do you receive unemployment benefits in NY - confused about my weekly payment amount
I just got approved for unemployment after being laid off from my retail job last month. My first weekly claim payment was $285 but I'm not sure if this is the right amount? I was making $18/hour working about 35 hours a week before I lost my job. How much do you receive unemployment benefits typically? I tried looking at the NYS Department of Labor website but the benefit calculator is confusing me. Is there a simple way to figure out if my weekly benefit amount is correct?
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Miguel Herrera
Your weekly benefit amount is calculated based on your earnings in your base period, which is typically the first 4 of the last 5 completed calendar quarters before you filed. NYS Department of Labor takes your highest quarter earnings and divides by 26 to get your weekly benefit rate. The maximum weekly benefit for 2025 is $504. Your $285 sounds reasonable for your wage level.
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Ava Thompson
•Thanks! So it's not based on my last paycheck amount but on quarters? That makes more sense why the number seemed different than what I expected.
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Zainab Ali
i get $320 a week and was making about $20/hour so yours sounds about right. the nys department of labor sends you a determination letter that breaks down exactly how they calculated it
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Connor Murphy
You can also log into your my.ny.gov account and check your payment history section. It shows your weekly benefit rate and any deductions. Make sure you're not confusing your gross benefit amount with what you actually receive - they take out federal taxes if you elected that option when filing your claim.
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Yara Nassar
•Wait, they take out taxes automatically? I don't remember choosing that option when I filed my initial claim with NYS Department of Labor.
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Connor Murphy
•It's optional. You can change your tax withholding preference in your account settings if you want to have 10% federal tax withheld from future payments.
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StarGazer101
The whole system is so confusing! I've been trying to reach someone at NYS Department of Labor for weeks to ask about my benefit amount but can never get through on the phone. The automated system just hangs up on me after being on hold forever.
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Keisha Jackson
•I had the same problem until I found claimyr.com - they actually got me through to a real NYS Department of Labor agent in like 15 minutes. There's a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI that shows how it works. Saved me hours of frustration trying to call myself.
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Paolo Romano
Just remember you have to keep filing your weekly claims and doing your job search activities to keep getting payments. NYS Department of Labor requires you to make at least 3 job contacts per week now.
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