How much unemployment will I get if I make $800 a week - NYS Department of Labor benefits calculation?
I'm currently making $800 per week at my job but there's been talk of layoffs coming soon. I want to get prepared and understand what I might be eligible for if I end up filing for unemployment benefits. Does anyone know how the NYS Department of Labor calculates weekly benefit amounts? I've been working this job for about 8 months now and before that I had a lower paying position for about 6 months. I'm trying to figure out if unemployment would even cover my basic expenses like rent and utilities. Has anyone been in a similar situation with weekly earnings around this amount?
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Malik Thomas
The NYS Department of Labor uses your highest quarter of earnings from your base period to calculate your weekly benefit rate. With $800/week, you're looking at roughly $3,200-$3,400 per month depending on how many weeks you worked. Your weekly benefit amount would likely be somewhere between $320-$420 per week, but it depends on your total earnings history during the base period. The maximum weekly benefit in NY is currently $504, so you wouldn't hit the cap.
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Emma Wilson
•That's actually better than I expected! So they look at my highest earning quarter, not just my current job? That's good since my previous job paid less.
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Isabella Oliveira
yeah i was making around $750 a week when i got laid off last year and ended up getting $385 per week in unemployment. not bad but definitely had to cut back on some things. the nys department of labor has a calculator on their website but its kinda confusing to use
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Ravi Kapoor
I'd recommend using Claimyr if you end up needing to file - I had so many questions about my benefit calculation and couldn't get through to the NYS Department of Labor phone lines. Claimyr.com helped me actually talk to an agent who explained exactly how my benefits were calculated. They even have a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI that shows you how it works. Way easier than waiting on hold for hours!
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Freya Larsen
•interesting, never heard of that service before. did they charge you anything for helping with the call?
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Ravi Kapoor
•They focus on the value of actually reaching someone rather than pricing details, but honestly it was worth it just to get real answers about my claim instead of guessing.
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GalacticGladiator
UGH the benefit calculation is SO confusing!! I spent hours trying to figure out mine and still wasn't sure if I was doing it right. The base period thing makes no sense - why can't they just use your current salary?? And what if you had gaps in employment or worked part-time? Does that mess up everything? I'm getting anxious just thinking about having to deal with all this paperwork...
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Malik Thomas
•I understand the frustration! The base period system is designed to use a full year of earnings data to get a more stable picture of your work history. Gaps don't necessarily hurt you as long as you have sufficient earnings in at least 2 quarters of your base period.
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Omar Zaki
just a heads up - make sure you keep track of all your pay stubs and employment records now while you still have access to everything. if you do end up filing for unemployment the nys department of labor might ask for documentation and its way easier to have it ready than trying to get it from HR after youre already laid off
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PaulineW
This is really helpful advice everyone! I'm in a similar boat - making about $825/week and worried about potential layoffs at my company. @Omar Zaki that's a great point about keeping records now. I just started downloading all my pay stubs and employment docs just in case. One question - does anyone know if the base period includes the most recent quarter or is there a lag? I'm trying to figure out if my recent raise would be factored into the calculation or if they'd use older, lower earnings.
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Misterclamation Skyblue
•@PaulineW Great question! The base period typically has a lag - it usually uses the first 4 of the last 5 completed quarters before you file your claim. So if you file in Q1 2025, they'd look at Q1 2024 through Q4 2024, not including the most recent quarter. This means your recent raise might not be reflected in the calculation, which is frustrating but that's how the system works. You might want to check the exact dates on the NYS DOL website to be sure, but generally there's about a 3-month delay before earnings count toward your base period.
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Ethan Clark
I was in almost the exact same situation last year - making $780/week when I got laid off. Like others mentioned, the benefit calculation isn't straightforward but I ended up getting about $375/week. One thing I wish I'd known is that you can actually do a rough estimate yourself: they typically take your highest quarter earnings, divide by 26, then apply the benefit formula (around 50% but varies). Also worth noting that benefits are taxable, so factor that in when budgeting. The good news is that at your income level, unemployment should cover most basic expenses, though you'll definitely need to tighten the belt a bit. Start organizing your paperwork now like others suggested - having everything ready makes the application process much smoother!
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Olivia Van-Cleve
•Thanks for sharing your experience @Ethan Clark! That's really reassuring to hear from someone who was in almost the exact same situation. The 50% calculation makes sense and $375/week sounds manageable for basic expenses. I didn't realize the benefits are taxable though - that's definitely something to factor in when planning. Did you have them withhold taxes from your weekly payments or did you just handle it at tax time? I'm trying to get all my ducks in a row now just in case the layoffs at my company actually happen.
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