How much money do you get unemployment benefits in NY - confused about payment amounts
I'm trying to figure out how much money I'll actually get if I file for unemployment in New York. I've been working at a warehouse for about 18 months making $22/hour, usually 35-40 hours per week. My friend says unemployment is based on your highest earning quarter but I don't really understand what that means. Does anyone know how the NYS Department of Labor calculates your weekly benefit amount? I need to know if it will cover my rent and basic expenses while I look for another job.
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Jade O'Malley
The NYS Department of Labor uses your base period earnings to calculate your weekly benefit rate. They look at your highest quarter of earnings in your base period (usually the first 4 of the last 5 completed quarters before you file). Your weekly benefit rate is 1/26th of that highest quarter, with a maximum of $504 per week in 2025. So if your highest quarter was $13,000, you'd get $500/week. You can get an estimate by logging into your my.ny.gov account before filing.
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Caleb Stark
•Thanks! So if I made around $11,500 in my best quarter, that would be about $442 per week? That might actually work for me.
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Hunter Edmunds
yeah the max is $504 but most people dont get that much. i think i was making like $19/hr and only got $380 something per week from unemployment. better than nothing though
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Ella Lewis
Don't forget you have to file your weekly claims and do the job search requirements to keep getting paid. The NYS Department of Labor requires 3 job contacts per week and you have to log them in the system. Miss a week and your payments stop until you fix it.
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Andrew Pinnock
•Wait, 3 job contacts per week? I thought it was just 1? This system is so confusing, no wonder people have problems with their claims.
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Brianna Schmidt
I had such a hard time getting through to anyone at NYS Department of Labor when I had questions about my benefit amount. Kept calling and getting disconnected or put on hold forever. Finally found this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that connects you directly to unemployment agents. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI showing how it works. Saved me hours of frustration trying to get answers about my claim.
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Jade O'Malley
•That's interesting - I've never heard of that service before. Did they charge you anything to help you get through?
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Alexis Renard
The whole unemployment system is a joke!! They make it so complicated on purpose so people give up and don't collect what they're owed. I had to appeal my benefit amount calculation because they used the wrong quarters and it took MONTHS to get it sorted out.
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Camila Jordan
same here wondering about the money amounts. my job is cutting hours so might need to file soon
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Ella Lewis
•If they're just cutting your hours, you might qualify for partial unemployment benefits. You can still work part-time and collect some UI as long as you report your earnings on your weekly claim.
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Andre Lefebvre
@Caleb Stark - Your calculation sounds about right! With $11,500 in your highest quarter, you'd get around $442 per week ($11,500 ÷ 26 = $442.31). Just make sure you have all your wage records ready when you file - sometimes employers don't report everything correctly to the state. Also, remember that unemployment benefits are taxable income, so you might want to have taxes withheld or set some aside for tax season. The good news is that $442/week for up to 26 weeks could definitely help cover basic expenses while job hunting.
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Oscar Murphy
•That's really helpful info about the tax implications - I hadn't thought about that! Do you know if there's a way to estimate how much would be taken out for taxes if I choose to have them withheld? I'd rather not get hit with a big bill next year.
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