NYS Department of Labor base period wages calculation - confused about my unemployment eligibility
I'm trying to figure out if I qualify for unemployment benefits and I keep seeing references to 'base period wages' on the NYS Department of Labor website but I'm completely lost on what this actually means. I worked part-time at two different jobs last year and had some gaps between employment. How do they calculate base period wages and what happens if mine are too low? I'm worried I might not qualify even though I've been working consistently for the past 18 months. Can someone explain this in simple terms?
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Danielle Campbell
Base period wages are basically your earnings from the first four of the last five completed calendar quarters before you file your claim. So if you file in January 2025, your base period would be October 2023 through September 2024. NYS Department of Labor uses these wages to determine both your eligibility and your weekly benefit amount. You need at least $2,600 in base period wages to qualify, and your highest quarter needs to be at least $2,600 with total wages being 1.5 times your highest quarter.
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Caleb Bell
•That makes more sense now! So they're not looking at my most recent work, but the period before that? That seems weird but I think I should qualify based on those timeframes.
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Rhett Bowman
yeah the base period thing is confusing, I had the same problem when I applied last year
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Abigail Patel
If your base period wages don't meet the requirements, you might be able to use the alternate base period which is the last four completed quarters. This can help if you had higher earnings more recently. You can also combine wages from multiple employers during the base period - NYS Department of Labor will pull all your wage records automatically when you file your claim.
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Daniel White
•I didn't know about the alternate base period option! That could really help people who just started working more hours or got better jobs recently.
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Nolan Carter
I had trouble getting through to NYS Department of Labor to ask about my base period calculation because their phone lines are always busy. I ended up using Claimyr (claimyr.com) to get connected to an actual agent who explained exactly how my wages were being calculated. They have this video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI that shows how it works. Made the whole process way less stressful than trying to call for weeks.
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Caleb Bell
•That sounds really helpful! I've been dreading having to call NYS Department of Labor because I know how hard it is to get through.
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Natalia Stone
The whole base period system is ridiculous if you ask me. Why can't they just look at your recent earnings like any normal person would expect?? I had to wait months for my claim because they kept saying my base period wages weren't sufficient even though I was making good money at my new job. It's like they WANT to deny people benefits.
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Danielle Campbell
•I understand the frustration, but the base period system is designed to ensure you have a substantial work history before becoming unemployed. It prevents people from working just briefly and then collecting benefits.
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Tasia Synder
My cousin had this issue too and had to appeal because they miscalculated her base period wages. apparently NYS Department of Labor sometimes misses wages from certain employers or quarters, so its worth double checking your wage history online before you file
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