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Logan Greenburg

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!

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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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

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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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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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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

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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

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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

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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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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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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

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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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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

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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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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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Ryan Andre

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In NY, you need to complete at least 3 work search activities per week to maintain eligibility. This includes things like applying for jobs, attending job fairs, networking events, or even online job training. You can track these activities through the NY.gov website in your unemployment portal - they have a built-in work search log where you enter the employer name, contact info, position applied for, and date. Keep your own backup records too just in case there are any technical issues with their system. The state can audit your work search activities at any time, so definitely don't skip this requirement!

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@Katherine Shultz In NY you need to complete at least 3 work search activities per week to maintain eligibility. You can log these directly in the NY.gov system when you certify for benefits each week - they have an online work search record where you enter company names, dates, and type of contact application, (interview, networking, etc .)You don t'need a special format for your own records but I d'recommend keeping screenshots or copies of job applications just in case they audit your search activities. The system is pretty user-friendly once you get the hang of it!

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@Katherine Shultz In NY you need to complete at least 3 work search activities per week to maintain eligibility. These can include applying for jobs, contacting employers directly, attending job fairs, or networking events. You can track them in the online system when you certify for benefits each week - there s'a section where you log what you did, when, and which employers you contacted. Keep your own detailed records too just in case! The system will ask for company names, contact info, and dates. Make sure the jobs you re'applying for are suitable to your skills and pay at least 80% of what you were earning before.

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Jamal Anderson

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In NY you need to complete at least 3 work search activities per week to maintain eligibility. This can include applying for jobs, attending job fairs, networking events, or even informational interviews. The NYS DOL has an online work search record you can access through your account, but I'd recommend keeping your own detailed log too with dates, company names, and contact info just in case. They do random audits so having good documentation is crucial - I learned this the hard way when they requested my records for review!

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@Katherine Shultz You need to complete at least 3 work search activities per week in NY. They accept a variety of activities like applying for jobs, attending job fairs, networking events, or even informational interviews. You can keep your own records but make sure to include the date, employer/contact name, type of activity, and any follow-up actions. I used a simple spreadsheet to track everything - just in case they ask for documentation during a review. The NY.gov unemployment portal also has a work search log you can download to help stay organized!

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Ali Anderson

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In NY, you need to complete at least 3 work search activities per week to maintain eligibility. These can include applying for jobs, attending job fairs, networking events, or even informational interviews. You can track them through the NY.gov unemployment portal - they have a work search log feature built in. But I'd also recommend keeping your own backup records with dates, company names, and contact info just in case. The state can audit your search activities, so having detailed documentation is really important!

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In NY you need to make at least 3 work search activities per week to maintain eligibility. You can track them through the ny.gov online system - they have a work search record feature where you log company names, dates, and type of contact (online application, phone call, in-person, etc.). Just keeping your own records isn't enough, you have to enter them into their system. Also heads up that they do random audits where they'll ask for proof like email confirmations or contact info, so save everything!

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Zainab Yusuf

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@Katherine Shultz In NY you need to complete at least 3 work search activities per week to maintain eligibility. This can include applying for jobs, attending job fairs, networking events, or even informational interviews. You can track these in the NY.gov system under your weekly certification - they have a built-in work search log where you enter the employer name, contact method, and date for each activity. Make sure to keep your own backup records too in case there are any system issues. The state can audit your work search activities at any time so detailed documentation is really important!

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Amara Chukwu

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@Katherine Shultz You need to complete at least 3 work search activities per week in NY. They re'pretty flexible about what counts - job applications, networking events, career fairs, even updating your LinkedIn profile. You can track them through the NY.gov system or keep your own records, but make sure to include the date, company name, and type of activity. I used a simple spreadsheet and never had any issues when they did random audits.

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@Katherine Shultz You need to complete at least 3 work search activities per week in NY. The state provides an online work search record form that you can access through your ny.gov account, but you can also keep your own detailed records as long as they include the date, employer name, position applied for, and method of contact online, (phone, in-person, etc. .)Make sure to save everything - they can audit your records at any time! I learned this the hard way when they requested my documentation after a few weeks.

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Rami Samuels

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@Katherine Shultz In NY you need to complete at least 3 work search activities per week to maintain eligibility. These can include applying for jobs, attending job fairs, networking events, or even creating/updating professional profiles like LinkedIn. You can keep your own records but make sure to document: date, employer/activity, type of contact, and result. The state uses their own online system where you ll'log these activities when you certify for weekly benefits. I d'recommend keeping a simple spreadsheet as backup in case there are any issues with their system!

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In NY, you need to complete at least 3 work search activities per week to maintain eligibility. This can include applying for jobs, attending job fairs, networking events, or even taking skills training courses. You don't need a specific format - just keep detailed records with dates, company names, positions applied for, and contact information. The NYS DOL can request this documentation at any time, so it's better to be over-prepared than scrambling to recreate your search history later!

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