How much would I get unemployment benefits in NY - confused about NYS Department of Labor payment calculation
I'm trying to figure out how much unemployment I'd actually get if I file with NYS Department of Labor. I work part-time making about $18/hour for maybe 25-30 hours a week at a retail job. Been there for almost 2 years now. I've heard people say you get like half your salary but I'm not sure if that's accurate? Also do they look at just recent pay or go back further? I tried looking on the my.ny.gov website but it's confusing with all the base period stuff. Does anyone know the actual formula they use?
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Kirsuktow DarkBlade
NYS Department of Labor calculates your weekly benefit rate (WBR) based on your highest paid quarter during your base period, which is usually the first 4 of the last 5 completed quarters before you file. They take that highest quarter, divide by 26, then you get half of that amount. So if your highest quarter was $6,500, you'd get about $125/week. Maximum weekly benefit in NY for 2025 is $504.
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Sienna Gomez
•Thanks! So they don't just look at my current weekly pay? That's actually helpful to know. I think I had some overtime during the holidays that might bump up one of my quarters.
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Abigail bergen
yeah its confusing but the base period thing is important. i filed last year and was surprised because they used quarters from like 8 months ago when i was making more money at my old job, not my current lower paying one
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Ahooker-Equator
•That's exactly why understanding the base period matters. If you recently took a pay cut or switched to part-time, your UI might actually be calculated on your higher previous earnings, which works in your favor.
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Anderson Prospero
The whole system is so backwards though. Like why can't they just use your current pay rate? I was making decent money two jobs ago but now I'm barely scraping by and when I got laid off my unemployment was based on old higher wages that don't reflect my actual situation anymore.
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Kirsuktow DarkBlade
•I understand the frustration, but the base period system is designed to prevent people from manipulating their wages right before filing. It also protects workers who might have had a temporary reduction in pay.
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Tyrone Hill
If you're having trouble getting through to NYS Department of Labor to get specific calculations for your situation, I had success using claimyr.com recently. They help you get connected to actual agents without sitting on hold forever. There's a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI that shows how it works. Was super helpful when I needed clarification on my benefit amount.
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Sienna Gomez
•Interesting, I'll check that out. The phone lines are always busy when I try to call.
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Abigail bergen
•never heard of that service but honestly anything that helps get through to them sounds worth trying
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Toot-n-Mighty
Wait so if I've only been working my current job for like 6 months, what happens? Do they use my previous job's wages too or am I just out of luck?
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Ahooker-Equator
They'll use wages from all qualifying employers during your base period, so yes, your previous job's wages would count as long as you worked during those quarters. You need to have earned at least $2,700 total during your base period to qualify for benefits at all.
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