How much unemployment will I get from NYS Department of Labor - need to calculate benefits

The NYS Department of Labor calculates your weekly benefit rate based on your highest earning quarter in your base period, which is usually the first 4 of the last 5 completed quarters before you filed. For someone making $52k annually, you're probably looking at somewhere between $350-450 per week, but it depends on how your earnings were distributed across those quarters. The maximum weekly benefit in NY is currently $504. You can get an estimate by logging into your my.ny.gov account after you file your initial claim.

NYS Department of Labor uses your base period wages to calculate benefits. They look at your highest quarter of earnings in the first 4 of the last 5 completed quarters before you file. Your weekly benefit rate is 1/26th of that highest quarter amount. With your wages, you're probably looking at somewhere between $280-350 per week, but the exact amount depends on which quarters had your highest earnings.

i think its like half your weekly pay or something but they also look at your whole work history not just your last job

i think its like half your average weekly pay or something like that, my friend got about $300 when she was making around $600 a week

The maximum weekly benefit in NY for 2025 is $504, but most people don't hit that unless they were making really good money. You can actually estimate your benefits on the my.ny.gov website before you file your claim. There's a benefit calculator tool that walks you through the process. Just remember you'll need to report any wages you earned during your base period quarters accurately when you file.

It's not quite half your weekly pay - that's a common misconception. NYS Department of Labor uses a formula based on your quarterly earnings during your base period. They take your highest quarter earnings, divide by 26, then apply their benefit rate table. The system automatically includes all wages reported to NYS Department of Labor by employers, so your college job would be included if it was in NY and during your base period. You don't need to manually report past wages - they already have that information from employer quarterly reports.

The whole NYS Department of Labor system is so confusing! I've been trying to figure out my own benefit calculation and it makes no sense. They say they use your 'base period' but then there's also something called an 'alternate base period' and I can't tell which one applies to me. Why can't they just make this simpler?

I had such a hard time getting through to NYS Department of Labor to ask questions about my benefit calculation when I filed last year. Spent weeks calling and either getting busy signals or getting hung up on after waiting on hold forever. Finally found this service called Claimyr that actually got me through to speak with someone at the unemployment office. You can check them out at claimyr.com - they have a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI that shows how it works. Really saved me a lot of frustration when I needed to verify my wage information.

If you're having trouble getting through to NYS Department of Labor to ask about your specific calculation, I had success using Claimyr (claimyr.com) to actually reach an agent. They have this system that calls for you and connects you when an agent is available. There's a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI that shows how it works. I was able to get my exact benefit amount explained instead of just guessing from online calculators.

Just keep in mind you also have to meet the job search requirements every week to keep getting benefits. That's 3 work search activities per week and you have to log them in the system. The benefit amount is just part of the equation - staying compliant with all the NYS Department of Labor rules is what keeps the payments coming.

just filed my claim last week and still waiting to see what my amount will be... the suspense is killing me lol. good luck with yours!