How much is unemployment benefits for someone making $62k annually in NYS?
I just got laid off from my marketing job where I was making $62,000 per year. I've never filed for unemployment before and I'm trying to figure out how much I can expect to receive from NYS Department of Labor. I know it's based on your previous earnings but I can't find a clear calculator anywhere. Does anyone know the formula they use? Also do they look at your last quarter or the whole year? Really stressed about covering my rent while I look for a new job.
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Aisha Hussain
NYS Department of Labor calculates your weekly benefit rate using your highest earning quarter from your base period. For someone making $62k annually, you're probably looking at around $450-500 per week maximum. The formula is roughly 50% of your average weekly wage up to the state maximum which is $504 in 2025. They look at your base period which is usually the first 4 of the last 5 completed quarters before you filed.
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Mateo Rodriguez
•Thanks! So if I made about $15,500 in my highest quarter that would put me at around $475 weekly? That would actually help a lot with my bills.
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GalacticGladiator
yeah the max is like $504 but most people dont get that unless they were making good money. i got $380 when i was making around $50k so yours sounds about right
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Ethan Brown
Just keep in mind you have to file your weekly claims every week and do job searches. NYS Department of Labor requires 3 job search activities per week and you need to keep a log. If you miss filing a weekly claim you could lose that week's benefits entirely. The system is pretty strict about the requirements.
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Mateo Rodriguez
•Good to know about the job search requirement. Do they actually check your job search log or is it just if they audit you?
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Ethan Brown
•They can request it at any time so definitely keep detailed records. Include company names, dates, contact methods, and position titles for each search activity.
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Yuki Yamamoto
I had such a hard time reaching anyone at NYS Department of Labor when I had questions about my benefit amount. Spent hours calling and either got busy signals or hung up on after waiting forever. Finally used this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that actually gets you through to a real agent. There's a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI showing how it works. Saved me so much frustration when I needed to verify my benefit calculation.
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Carmen Ruiz
•Interesting, never heard of that. Did they charge you for it or is it free to use?
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Yuki Yamamoto
•They do charge but honestly it was worth it just to get through and get my questions answered instead of calling for days with no luck.
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Andre Lefebvre
Don't forget you can also check your payment history and benefit amount on your my.ny.gov account once your claim is processed. Sometimes it takes a week or two after filing to see your actual weekly benefit rate show up in the system.
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Emma Swift
Hey Mateo, I went through this same situation last year when I got laid off from my tech job. One thing to add to what others have said - make sure you apply as soon as possible because there's usually a one-week waiting period before benefits start. Also, if you have any severance pay, that might delay when your benefits kick in depending on how it's structured. The online application process is pretty straightforward but gather all your employment info first (dates, employer details, reason for separation). You should get a determination letter within a few weeks that will show your exact weekly benefit amount. Hang in there - the system does work once you get through the initial setup!
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Ethan Taylor
•Thanks Emma! That's really helpful about applying ASAP. I didn't realize there was a waiting period. Quick question - when you say severance might delay benefits, do you mean they won't start at all until the severance period ends, or just that the waiting week gets pushed back? I got a small severance package (about 3 weeks pay) so trying to figure out the timing.
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