How much is federal unemployment benefit amount in NY - NYS Department of Labor rates?
I'm trying to figure out how much federal unemployment I can get through NYS Department of Labor. My job ended last month and I need to know what to expect for weekly payments. I made about $52,000 last year working retail management. Does anyone know the current federal unemployment rates for New York? I've heard there's a maximum but I can't find clear info on the NYS Department of Labor website.
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Oliver Becker
There's no separate 'federal unemployment' - you get regular UI benefits through NYS Department of Labor. Your weekly benefit amount is calculated based on your highest quarter earnings from the past 18 months. The maximum weekly benefit in NY for 2025 is $504. You'll get roughly half of your average weekly wage up to that max.
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Amina Bah
•Oh I see, so it's all through NYS Department of Labor then? I thought there were federal and state parts. How do they calculate which quarter to use?
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Natasha Petrova
yeah the calculation is confusing but basically they look at your 4 highest paid quarters and use that to determine your weekly amount. with 52k you should get close to the maximum assuming you worked consistently
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Javier Hernandez
The NYS Department of Labor uses your base period earnings to calculate benefits. For someone making $52K annually, you'd likely qualify for around $400-500 weekly depending on how your earnings were distributed across quarters. You can also get an estimate by logging into your my.ny.gov account and starting a claim application - it will show your potential benefit amount before you submit.
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Amina Bah
•That's really helpful! I'll check my.ny.gov to see the estimate. Do I need to have all my pay stubs ready when I apply?
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Emma Davis
I had such a nightmare trying to get through to NYS Department of Labor when I had questions about my benefit calculation. Spent weeks calling and either getting busy signals or being disconnected. Finally used this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that actually got me connected to a real agent who walked me through the whole calculation process. They have a demo video at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI showing how it works. Saved me so much frustration!
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LunarLegend
•Interesting, never heard of that before. Did they charge you for connecting to NYS Department of Labor?
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Emma Davis
•Yeah there's a fee but honestly worth it compared to the hours I wasted trying to get through on my own. The agent was able to explain exactly how they calculated my benefit amount and why.
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Malik Jackson
Wait I'm confused about this whole thing. I thought unemployment was run by the federal government? So NYS Department of Labor handles everything for New York residents? What if I worked in multiple states?
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Oliver Becker
•Each state runs its own unemployment program following federal guidelines. If you worked in multiple states, you typically file in the state where you worked most recently or where you earned the most wages.
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Isabella Oliveira
Just wanted to add that the $504 max is before taxes. NYS Department of Labor will withhold federal and state taxes if you choose that option when filing your weekly claims. Otherwise you'll owe at tax time.
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