How much unemployment will I get if I make $500 a week - NYS Department of Labor weekly benefit calculation?

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.