How much does unemployment pay in NYC - NYS Department of Labor weekly benefit amounts?
I'm trying to figure out how much unemployment pay I can expect if I file a claim in NYC. I've been working as a retail manager for the past 2 years making about $52,000 annually but my store is closing next month. Does anyone know how the NYS Department of Labor calculates weekly benefit amounts? I've heard it's based on your earnings but I can't find clear info on the exact formula or maximum amounts for 2025.
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Diez Ellis
The NYS Department of Labor calculates your weekly benefit rate using your highest quarter of earnings from your base period (usually the first 4 of the last 5 completed quarters). They take that quarter's earnings and divide by 26 to get your weekly amount. For 2025, the maximum weekly benefit is $504 and minimum is $104. With your salary, you'd probably get somewhere around $350-400 per week depending on when you worked your highest earning quarter.
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Noland Curtis
•That's really helpful! So if I made about $14,000 in my best quarter, that would be roughly $538 divided by 26... wait that's over the maximum. So I'd get the max $504?
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Vanessa Figueroa
Actually the calculation is a bit different - they don't just divide by 26. The NYS Department of Labor uses your high quarter earnings divided by 26, but then there's also a formula that looks at your total base period earnings. You get whichever amount is higher, but capped at the $504 maximum. With retail work the earnings can be inconsistent so your best bet is to use the online calculator on the my.ny.gov site.
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Abby Marshall
•yeah I tried that calculator and it was pretty accurate when I filed last year, definitely worth checking out before you apply
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Sadie Benitez
Don't forget you'll also need to pay taxes on unemployment benefits! The NYS Department of Labor doesn't automatically withhold federal taxes so you might want to have them take out 10% or you could owe come tax time. I learned this the hard way.
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Noland Curtis
•Oh wow I didn't even think about taxes. Can you request withholding when you file or do you have to wait?
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Sadie Benitez
•You can request it right when you file your initial claim or change it later through your online account. Just look for the tax withholding option in your claim.
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Drew Hathaway
I'm in a similar situation and have been trying to call the NYS Department of Labor for weeks to ask about benefit amounts but can never get through! The phone lines are always busy and when I do get in the queue I get disconnected. Has anyone found a better way to reach them? This is so frustrating when you're trying to plan your finances.
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Laila Prince
•I had the same problem trying to reach NYS Department of Labor agents until someone told me about Claimyr (claimyr.com). They actually get you connected to the unemployment office without having to wait on hold forever. I used it last month and got through to an agent in like 10 minutes. There's a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI that shows how it works. Definitely worth checking out if you're stuck trying to get answers about your claim.
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Isabel Vega
just a heads up the weekly amounts change every year so make sure youre looking at 2025 rates not old info. also in nyc the cost of living is crazy so even the max barely covers rent but its better than nothing i guess
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Marcus Marsh
•@Isabel Vega so true about NYC rent! I m'paying $2800 for a 1BR in Brooklyn so even max benefits would only cover like half. Did you find any other assistance programs that helped bridge the gap? I m'wondering if there are emergency rental assistance programs still available or food assistance I should look into while I m'between jobs.
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