How much unemployment will I get if I make $500 a week - NYS Department of Labor weekly benefit calculation?
I'm trying to figure out what my weekly unemployment benefit would be if I lose my job. I currently make $500 per week gross pay at my retail job and have been working there for about 8 months. Does anyone know how the NYS Department of Labor calculates the weekly benefit amount? I've looked on their website but the formula is confusing. I need to know approximately what I'd get so I can budget in case something happens with my hours being cut or if I get laid off.
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Laila Prince
The NYS Department of Labor uses your highest quarter earnings from your base period to calculate benefits. Generally you'll get about 50% of your average weekly wage, but there's a maximum weekly benefit amount that changes each year. For 2025 the max is $504 per week. Since you make $500/week, you'd probably get around $250 weekly if approved, but they look at your earnings history over the past 15 months to determine eligibility.
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Drew Hathaway
•Thanks! So they don't just look at my current weekly pay? What if I only worked at this job for 8 months - would that hurt my claim?
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Isabel Vega
You need to have earned enough in your base period to qualify. The NYS Department of Labor requires minimum earnings in at least 2 quarters of your base period. If you've only worked 8 months at $500/week, you should have enough qualifying wages. Your benefit rate will be 1/26th of your highest quarter earnings, so if your highest quarter was about $6500 (13 weeks x $500), your weekly benefit would be around $250.
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Dominique Adams
•This is helpful but I'm confused about the base period thing. Is that the last year of work or something different?
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Isabel Vega
•Base period is the first 4 of the last 5 completed calendar quarters before you file. So if you file in January 2025, your base period would be January 2024 through December 2024.
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Marilyn Dixon
I had similar earnings when I filed last year and got $248 per week. The NYS Department of Labor calculation was pretty straightforward once I understood it. You should also know that you have to meet the job search requirements - 3 job contacts per week unless you're on standby. Make sure you keep detailed records of your job search activities because they do audit those.
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Drew Hathaway
•Good to know about the job search requirements. Is there a specific way you have to document the job contacts?
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Louisa Ramirez
honestly the whole system is confusing and the NYS Department of Labor website doesn't explain things clearly. I spent HOURS trying to figure out my benefit amount before filing. When I needed to talk to someone about my specific situation I used claimyr.com - they actually got me through to a real person at the NYS Department of Labor within minutes instead of waiting on hold forever. There's a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI that shows how it works. Worth it when you need actual answers about your claim calculation.
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TommyKapitz
•Never heard of that service but sounds useful. Did they charge you a lot for it?
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Louisa Ramirez
•It's worth it to actually talk to someone who can look at your specific wage history. Way better than guessing about benefit amounts.
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Angel Campbell
Just remember you can't collect unemployment if you quit voluntarily. Has to be a layoff or termination for reasons not related to misconduct. Also if you're still working part-time you might be able to get partial benefits depending on how much you earn each week.
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Chloe Green
I just went through this process a few months ago with similar earnings. One thing to keep in mind is that the NYS Department of Labor also looks at whether you have enough weeks of work, not just the dollar amount. You need at least 20 weeks of work in your base period OR earnings of at least $3,300 in your highest quarter and $4,950 total in your base period. Since you've been working 8 months at $500/week, you should meet both requirements. The benefit amount calculation others mentioned is correct - around $250/week sounds right for your situation.
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Val Rossi
•This is really helpful - I didn't know about the 20 weeks requirement! I've been working for about 32 weeks now so that should be fine. The $250/week estimate sounds about right based on what everyone is saying. Do you remember how long it took for your first payment to come through after you filed? I'm just trying to plan ahead in case I do need to file a claim.
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Giovanni Rossi
•@Val Rossi It took about 2-3 weeks for my first payment after filing, but that was after the waiting week. The NYS Department of Labor has a one-week waiting period where you don t'get paid for the first week you re'eligible. So really it was about 3-4 weeks total from when I filed to when I got money. Make sure you certify for benefits every week during that time even if you re'not getting paid yet - you have to keep up with the weekly certifications or you ll'lose those weeks. Also, if there are any issues with your claim like (they need to verify your wages or employment ,)it can take longer.
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Madison Allen
Another thing to consider - if your hours get cut instead of being laid off completely, you might still qualify for partial unemployment benefits. The NYS Department of Labor allows you to work part-time and still collect some benefits as long as you earn less than your weekly benefit rate. So if you end up getting that estimated $250/week benefit, you could work and earn up to $249 and still get some unemployment money. Just make sure to report any earnings when you certify each week. This could be helpful if your retail job cuts your hours instead of letting you go entirely.
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Marcus Marsh
•This is great info about partial benefits! I didn't realize you could still get unemployment if your hours were just reduced. That's actually really relevant to my situation since retail jobs can be unpredictable with scheduling. So if I normally work full-time at $500/week but they cut me down to like 2 days a week, I could potentially get partial unemployment to make up some of the difference? That would be a huge help during slow seasons.
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Jamal Wilson
•@Marcus Marsh Yes, exactly! You could definitely get partial benefits in that situation. The NYS Department of Labor has a formula where they subtract your weekly earnings from your benefit rate and pay you the difference as (long as you earn less than your full benefit amount .)So if your benefit rate is $250 and you only earn $200 that week from reduced hours, you d'get $50 in unemployment benefits. Just remember you still have to be available and actively looking for full-time work to qualify - you can t'just accept reduced hours permanently and keep collecting. The partial benefits are meant to help bridge the gap while you re'searching for a full-time position.
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Noah huntAce420
Just wanted to add that you should also be aware of the maximum duration for benefits in New York. You can collect unemployment for up to 26 weeks in a benefit year, but the exact number of weeks depends on how much you earned during your base period. Since you've only been working for 8 months, make sure you have enough earnings to qualify for the full 26 weeks if needed. The NYS Department of Labor will calculate this automatically when you file, but it's good to know upfront. Also, keep all your pay stubs and W-2s handy when you file - they may ask for wage verification, especially since you're a relatively new employee. Having that documentation ready can speed up the process.
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Bethany Groves
•Thanks for mentioning the documentation part! I hadn't thought about gathering all my pay stubs ahead of time. Since I've only been at this job for 8 months, I'm a bit worried about whether I'll qualify for the full 26 weeks of benefits. Do you know roughly how much you need to have earned in your base period to get the maximum duration? I want to make sure I'm not caught off guard if I can only collect for a shorter period.
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