How to calculate how much unemployment you will receive from NYS Department of Labor
I'm trying to figure out exactly how much my weekly unemployment benefit will be before I file my claim with NYS Department of Labor. I know it's based on your previous earnings but I'm confused about the calculation. I made about $52,000 last year working full time at a manufacturing job. Does anyone know the formula they use? I've looked on the my.ny.gov website but it's not super clear to me.
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GalaxyGuardian
The NYS Department of Labor calculates your weekly benefit rate using your earnings from the highest quarter in your base period. For 2025, the maximum weekly benefit is $504. They take your highest quarter earnings, divide by 26, then multiply by 50%. So if your highest quarter was $15,000, you'd get about $288 per week. You can also use the benefit calculator on the my.ny.gov portal.
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Keisha Robinson
•Thanks! That helps a lot. I think my highest quarter was around $14,500 so that would put me at about $278 per week if I'm doing the math right.
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Paolo Ricci
just filed mine last month and was surprised how much lower it was than i expected.. the base period thing is confusing too because they dont use your most recent earnings
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Amina Toure
•Right, the base period is usually the first four of the last five completed quarters before you file. So if you file in January 2025, they're looking at earnings from January 2024 through September 2024, not your most recent quarter.
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Oliver Zimmermann
I had such a hard time getting through to NYS Department of Labor to verify my benefit amount calculation because their phone lines are always busy. Finally used this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me connected to an actual agent who walked me through my specific calculation. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI that shows how it works. Really helped me understand why my amount was different than what I expected.
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Keisha Robinson
•Interesting, I might need to try that if I can't figure out my exact amount. Did they charge you for the service?
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Oliver Zimmermann
•Yeah there's a fee but it was worth it to actually talk to someone who could explain my specific situation instead of just guessing.
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Natasha Volkova
dont forget you also have to meet the monetary eligibility requirements - you need at least $2,700 in one quarter and total base period earnings of at least 1.5 times your highest quarter
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Keisha Robinson
•Good point, I should definitely check that I meet those minimums before getting too excited about the benefit amount.
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Javier Torres
The whole system is so confusing! Why can't they just give you a simple estimate when you start the application process? I spent hours trying to calculate mine and still wasn't sure until I actually got approved.
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Maria Gonzalez
•I totally agree! It would be so much easier if they had a simple calculator right on the main page. I'm in a similar situation trying to figure this out before I file. The fact that we all have to piece together the formula from different sources shows how unclear their system is.
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NeonNomad
I've been through this process recently and want to add that you should also check if you qualify for the alternative base period if your regular base period doesn't meet the requirements. This uses the most recent four quarters instead of the first four of the last five. Also, keep in mind that the 50% calculation has a minimum weekly benefit of $104, so even if your calculation comes out lower, you'd still get at least that amount. The my.ny.gov site does have a worksheet you can download under the "Unemployment Insurance" section that walks through the math step by step - it's buried in there but helps a lot once you find it.
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Dylan Hughes
•This is really helpful info! I didn't know about the alternative base period option - that could make a big difference for people who had lower earnings earlier but higher recent earnings. Do you happen to know if there's a specific form you need to fill out to request the alternative base period calculation, or does NYS DOL automatically check both when you apply?
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Zainab Yusuf
•@NeonNomad Thanks for mentioning that worksheet! I've been struggling to find clear documentation on their site. One thing I'm still confused about - when they say "highest quarter" do they mean the quarter with the most total earnings, or do they factor in things like overtime differently? I had a few quarters where I worked a lot of overtime which bumped up my total pay significantly, but I'm not sure if that's treated the same as regular wages in their calculation.
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