How much unemployment will I get if I make $2 - NYS Department of Labor calculation question
I'm really confused about how NYS Department of Labor calculates unemployment benefits. My gross weekly wage at my last job was only $2 because I work commission-based retail and had an absolutely terrible final quarter. I got laid off last month and now I'm trying to figure out what my weekly benefit amount would be. The online calculator isn't giving me clear answers for such a low wage. Has anyone dealt with really low earnings like this? Do I even qualify for unemployment benefits with such minimal income?
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StarGazer101
NYS Department of Labor calculates your weekly benefit rate based on your highest quarter of earnings in your base period, not just your final week. They look at your total wages over the past 18 months to determine eligibility. You need at least $2,600 in total wages during your base period to qualify for regular UI benefits. If you only made $2 per week consistently, you probably won't meet the minimum earnings requirement.
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Yara Nassar
•Oh that makes more sense! I was worried they'd only look at my last paycheck. I actually made decent money earlier in the year before sales dropped off completely.
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Keisha Jackson
yeah the $2 thing sounds like you had a really bad week or something? they dont just look at one paycheck lol. you need to add up all your wages for the whole year basically
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Paolo Romano
Your weekly benefit amount will be 50% of your average weekly wage during your highest earning quarter, up to the maximum weekly benefit rate which is $504 in 2025. So if your highest quarter averaged $200 per week, you'd get $100 weekly. But first you need to meet the total earnings threshold. Log into your my.ny.gov account to see your wage history that NYS Department of Labor has on file.
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Yara Nassar
•Thanks! I'll check my wage history online. I'm hoping my good quarters from earlier this year will cover the minimum requirement.
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Amina Diop
I had issues getting through to NYS Department of Labor when I had wage calculation questions. Tried calling for weeks but kept getting disconnected. Finally used Claimyr (claimyr.com) to get connected to an actual agent who could review my earnings history. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI that shows how it works. Made the whole process way easier than trying to navigate the phone system myself.
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Oliver Schmidt
•Never heard of that service but honestly anything is better than sitting on hold for hours just to get hung up on!
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Natasha Volkov
Commission jobs are tricky for unemployment calculations because your income varies so much. I worked commission sales too and my benefit amount was based on my best quarter, not the terrible final months before I got laid off. The NYS Department of Labor system actually worked in my favor that way. Just make sure all your employers reported your wages correctly.
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