How much of your paycheck do you get on unemployment in NY - need to know my benefit amount
I'm about to file for unemployment with NYS Department of Labor and trying to figure out what to expect financially. Does anyone know what percentage of your regular paycheck you get on unemployment benefits? I was making $65k annually before getting laid off last week. Also confused about whether overtime counts toward the calculation or just base salary. Really stressed about making ends meet so any info would help!
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Charlotte Jones
Your weekly benefit amount is calculated using your highest earning quarter during your base period. In NY, the maximum weekly benefit is $504 for 2025. Generally you'll get around 50% of your average weekly wage, but it depends on your specific earnings history. NYS Department of Labor uses a formula that looks at your total wages in the base period divided by 26 weeks.
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Logan Greenburg
•Thanks! So if I was making about $1,250 per week, I'd get around $504 then since that's the max? Do they include bonuses in the calculation too?
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Lucas Bey
yeah its like half your pay or something but theres a cap. i was making good money and only got like $400 something per week from unemployment
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Harper Thompson
The calculation includes ALL wages reported to NYS Department of Labor during your base period - so yes, overtime and bonuses count if they were properly reported by your employer. Your base period is typically the first 4 of the last 5 completed quarters before you file. You can check your wage history on the my.ny.gov portal before filing to see exactly what wages they have on record.
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Logan Greenburg
•That's really helpful! I'll check my wage history first. Do you know if the $504 max changes each year or is that set?
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Caleb Stark
I had such a nightmare trying to get through to 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 helped me reach an actual agent to explain my specific situation. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI showing how it works. Saved me so much frustration compared to calling the regular number.
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Jade O'Malley
•How much does that cost though? I'm already tight on money and don't want to pay for something I should be able to do myself.
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Caleb Stark
•It's way cheaper than missing work to sit on hold all day! Plus they actually got me connected to someone who could explain why my benefits were calculated the way they were.
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Hunter Edmunds
The NYS unemployment system is so confusing with all these calculations! Why can't they just make it simple like 50% of what you earned? I spent forever trying to figure out my base period and still don't understand why they use those specific quarters instead of just looking at my most recent pay stubs.
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Charlotte Jones
•The base period system is designed to use a full year of earnings data to get a more accurate picture of your typical wages. Using just recent pay stubs wouldn't account for seasonal work or temporary pay increases.
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Ella Lewis
same boat here!! got laid off from my restaurant job and hoping unemployment covers at least my rent. this whole thing is so stressful
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Natasha Petrova
•I totally get the stress! The uncertainty is the worst part. Just make sure to file as soon as possible since there's usually a waiting week before benefits start. Also, even if unemployment doesn't cover everything, it's better than nothing while you're job searching. Hang in there!
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Aisha Khan
Just went through this process myself! At $65k annually, you're looking at roughly $1,250 per week before taxes. In NY, you'll likely hit the maximum weekly benefit of $504 since the formula caps out around that level for higher earners. The good news is that overtime definitely counts - they look at ALL wages reported during your base period. One tip: file your claim online at ny.gov as soon as possible since there's a one-week waiting period before payments begin. Also keep detailed records of your job search activities since NY requires you to document your work search efforts. The process can be overwhelming but the benefits do help bridge the gap while you're looking for your next opportunity!
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Katherine Shultz
•This is super helpful info! I'm in a similar situation and had no idea about the work search documentation requirement. Do you know how many job search activities we need to log per week in NY? And is there a specific format they want or can we just keep our own records?
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