How to determine unemployment benefits amount in NYS - confused about calculation
I'm trying to figure out how much I'll get for unemployment benefits but the NYS Department of Labor website is confusing me. I worked at a restaurant for 8 months making $18/hour about 32 hours a week, then got laid off last month. When I filed my claim they asked about my wages from the last 18 months but I'm not sure if they're calculating it right. My friend said it's based on your highest quarter but I don't understand what that means. Has anyone gone through this process recently? I just want to know approximately what to expect so I can budget.
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Maya Patel
NYS Department of Labor calculates your weekly benefit rate using your wages from the base period, which is the first 4 of the last 5 completed calendar quarters before you filed. They take your highest quarter earnings and divide by 26 to get your weekly amount, but it can't exceed the state maximum. For 2025 the max is $504 per week. You can see your quarterly wages in your online account under payment history.
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Isabella Brown
•Thank you! So if my highest quarter was like $9,400 that would be around $361 per week? That seems about right based on what the calculator showed me.
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Aiden Rodríguez
yeah the base period thing confused me too when i filed. took me forever to figure out which quarters they were even looking at lol. but once you get approved it shows your weekly amount in your claim summary
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Emma Garcia
If you're having trouble getting through to NYS Department of Labor to verify your calculation, I used claimyr.com recently to connect with an agent. They have this video demo (https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI) that shows how it works. Saved me hours of trying to call during the busy periods. The agent was able to explain my benefit calculation and confirm my base period wages were correct.
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Ava Kim
•Did they charge you for that service? I've been trying to get through for weeks to ask about my adjudication status.
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Emma Garcia
•Yes there's a fee but honestly worth it when you need answers quickly. Much better than sitting on hold for hours or getting disconnected.
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Ethan Anderson
The whole system is so backwards! Why can't they just show you exactly how they calculated it instead of making us guess? I had to call three times before someone could explain why my benefits were lower than expected.
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Maya Patel
Also remember that your total benefit amount is 26 times your weekly rate, so that's the maximum you can collect during your benefit year. And you have to meet the work search requirements - 3 contacts per week unless you're on standby with your employer.
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Isabella Brown
•Wait, what's standby status? My manager said they might call me back when business picks up but I haven't heard anything official.
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