How much is unemployment per week in 2025 - NYS Department of Labor weekly benefit amounts?
Does anyone know what the weekly unemployment benefit amounts are for 2025 in New York? I'm trying to figure out how much I might qualify for if I file a claim. I've been working full-time making about $52,000 a year for the past two years. My friend said the NYS Department of Labor calculates it based on your highest quarter earnings but I'm not sure how that works exactly. Also wondering if there's a maximum weekly amount they'll pay regardless of how much you made? Any help would be appreciated!
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Cole Roush
For 2025, the maximum weekly benefit rate in NY is $504. Your actual amount depends on your base period wages - they take your highest quarter earnings from your base period and divide by 26. So if your highest quarter was $13,104 (which would be about right for your salary), you'd get the maximum $504 per week. The minimum is $104 per week.
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Jasmine Hancock
•Thanks! So I should be eligible for close to the maximum then. How do I find out what my base period quarters were?
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Scarlett Forster
yeah the max went up from like $480 something last year. you can check your wage history on the my.ny.gov website once you start your claim
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Arnav Bengali
Just to clarify - your base period is typically the first four of the last five completed calendar quarters before you file. So if you file in January 2025, your base period would be January 2024 through December 2024. The NYS Department of Labor uses your W-2 wages reported by employers during that time. You can also request a benefit rate calculation before filing if you want to know the exact amount.
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Sayid Hassan
•Wait I'm confused... I thought they used the last 12 months of work? This quarters thing is throwing me off
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Arnav Bengali
•No, it's specifically calendar quarters, not a rolling 12 months. Many people get confused about this. The quarters are Jan-Mar, Apr-Jun, Jul-Sep, and Oct-Dec.
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Rachel Tao
I had such a hard time getting through to someone at NYS Department of Labor to ask about my benefit calculation. Spent hours on hold just to get disconnected. Finally used this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that actually got me connected to an agent within like 20 minutes. They have a video demo showing how it works at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI. Was definitely worth it to get my questions answered quickly instead of wasting whole days trying to call.
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Derek Olson
•Interesting, never heard of that. Did they charge you anything for it?
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Rachel Tao
•Yeah there's a fee but honestly it was worth it to actually talk to someone. Way better than the endless hold times and getting hung up on.
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Danielle Mays
Also remember you'll pay taxes on unemployment benefits so the $504 isn't what you'll actually take home. I always forget about that part until tax time rolls around!
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Keith Davidson
One thing to keep in mind is that you need to have worked at least 2 quarters in your base period and earned a minimum amount to qualify. For 2025, you need at least $2,600 in one quarter and total base period wages of at least 1.5 times your high quarter wages. So with your $52k salary you should definitely meet the requirements, but it's good to double-check especially if you had any gaps in employment during your base period.
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Daniel Price
•That's really helpful to know about the minimum requirements! I hadn't heard about the 1.5 times rule before. With my steady employment the past two years I should be fine, but good to know what to look out for. Do you know if they count all employers during the base period or just your most recent one?
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Sofía Rodríguez
•They count wages from ALL employers during your base period, not just your most recent one. So if you worked multiple jobs or changed employers during those four quarters, all the wages get combined together. This actually helps a lot of people qualify or get higher benefit amounts since it includes everything reported on your W-2s during that time frame.
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Ravi Patel
Just went through this process myself last month! The $504 maximum is correct for 2025. One tip - when you file your claim online, they'll show you exactly what your benefit calculation will be based on your reported wages before you submit everything. That way you can see if it matches what you're expecting. Also, don't forget that you can collect benefits for up to 26 weeks in NY (though that might change depending on unemployment rates). The whole process was way easier online than I expected it to be.
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Lucy Taylor
•That's really reassuring to hear from someone who just went through it! I was worried the online system would be confusing but sounds like it's pretty straightforward. Good to know about seeing the calculation before submitting - that'll help me make sure everything looks right. Quick question - did you have any issues with the identity verification part? I keep hearing mixed things about how long that takes.
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McKenzie Shade
•@Ravi Patel That s'great to hear the online system shows the calculation before submitting! I m'planning to file soon and was nervous about not knowing what to expect. Did you end up getting the full $504 maximum, and if so how long did it take for your first payment to come through after approval?
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