How much does one get for unemployment benefits in New York - confused about payment amounts
I'm really confused about how much money I'll actually receive from NYS Department of Labor unemployment benefits. I've been working retail for the past 2 years making about $18/hour and just got laid off last week. When I tried to calculate my benefits online it gave me some confusing numbers about base periods and weekly benefit rates. Can someone explain in simple terms how much does one get for unemployment in NY? I need to know what to expect so I can budget properly while looking for work.
11 comments
Join the conversation
Ethan Clark
Your weekly benefit amount depends on your earnings during your base period, which is usually 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 rate. The maximum weekly benefit for 2025 is $504, but most people get between $200-400 depending on their work history.
0 coins
Aisha Mahmood
•Thanks! So if I made around $9,000 in my highest quarter that would be about $346 per week? That's actually more than I expected.
0 coins
AstroAce
dont forget you also have to meet the job search requirements to keep getting paid!! NYS Department of Labor makes you do 3 job contacts per week and keep a log
0 coins
Yuki Kobayashi
•Actually it's 3 work search activities per week, not just contacts. Can include applying for jobs, attending job fairs, networking events, or even approved training programs. Just make sure to document everything in your work search record.
0 coins
Carmen Vega
I was getting $367 weekly when I was on unemployment last year. The amount really depends on what you earned but honestly the hardest part is just getting through to someone at NYS Department of Labor when you have questions. I spent WEEKS trying to call their main number and either got busy signals or hung up on after waiting forever. Finally found this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that actually gets you connected to a real agent. They have a demo video at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI showing exactly how it works. Saved me so much frustration!
0 coins
Andre Rousseau
•Wait really? I've been trying to reach them for days about my claim status. Is that service legit or is it expensive?
0 coins
Carmen Vega
•It's totally legit - they don't ask for any personal info, just help you get through the phone system faster. Way better than sitting on hold for hours or getting disconnected.
0 coins
Zoe Stavros
The whole NYS Department of Labor system is a joke anyway. They make it SO complicated to figure out your benefits and then half the time the website doesn't even work when you try to file your weekly claim. And don't even get me started on how long adjudication takes when they decide to review your case for no reason...
0 coins
Jamal Harris
•totally agree the system is frustrating but at least the benefits help pay bills while job hunting
0 coins
Amina Sy
I just went through this process myself a few months ago. @Aisha Mahmood your calculation sounds about right - with $18/hour retail work you'll probably get somewhere in the $300-350 range weekly. One thing that really helped me was creating a spreadsheet to track everything - my weekly certifications, job search activities, and benefit payments. Also make sure you file your first weekly certification right away even if you haven't received your monetary determination yet, otherwise you could lose that first week of benefits. The whole process is definitely confusing at first but once you get into the routine it becomes more manageable.
0 coins
Luca Romano
•@Amina Sy That s'really helpful advice about filing the weekly certification right away! I had no idea you could lose that first week if you wait. The spreadsheet idea is great too - I m'definitely going to set that up to stay organized. Did you find the job search activity requirements hard to meet each week? I m'worried about finding enough legitimate activities to document while I m'still learning what s'out there.
0 coins