NYS Department of Labor minimum earnings requirement - how much do you have to make to get unemployment?
I'm trying to figure out if I qualify for unemployment benefits in New York. I worked part-time for about 8 months last year making around $280 a week. My friend said there's some minimum amount you have to earn to be eligible but I can't find clear info on the NYS Department of Labor website. Does anyone know what the earnings requirement is? I'm worried I didn't make enough to qualify.
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Sofia Gomez
You need to have earned at least $2,600 in your base period to qualify for NYS Department of Labor unemployment benefits. The base period is usually the first four of the last five completed calendar quarters before you file. So if you made $280/week for 8 months, that's roughly $8,960 which should put you well over the minimum threshold.
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Dylan Evans
•Oh thank goodness! I was so worried I wouldn't qualify. So the $2,600 is total earnings over those four quarters, not per quarter right?
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StormChaser
Yeah the minimum is $2,600 total in your base period BUT you also need to have earnings in at least two quarters and your high quarter earnings need to be at least 1.5 times your earnings in another quarter. It's not just about hitting the dollar amount - there's a pattern requirement too.
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Dmitry Petrov
•this is confusing... what if you only worked in one quarter but made like $5000? you still wouldnt qualify?
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StormChaser
•Correct - you need earnings spread across at least two quarters in your base period. It's designed to show you had steady work, not just a one-time gig.
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Ava Williams
I had the same worry when I filed last year! The NYS Department of Labor system actually tells you if you meet the monetary requirements when you apply online. If you're borderline, sometimes they'll use an alternate base period that might work better for you. Don't stress too much about calculating it yourself - just apply and see what happens.
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Dylan Evans
•That's reassuring to know they check it automatically. I guess there's no harm in applying to see if I qualify.
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Miguel Castro
The whole earnings requirement thing is such a pain when you're trying to reach someone at NYS Department of Labor to get clarification. I spent weeks trying to call them about my base period calculation. Finally used claimyr.com to get through to an actual agent who explained everything in 10 minutes. There's a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI that shows how it works - basically they call for you when the lines open.
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Zainab Ibrahim
•never heard of that service but honestly anything beats sitting on hold for hours just to get disconnected
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Connor O'Neill
Just a heads up - even if you meet the monetary requirements, you still need to be unemployed through no fault of your own and meet the weekly job search requirements. The earnings threshold is just the first hurdle, not the only one for getting approved.
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Oliver Becker
Thanks everyone for the helpful info! I'm feeling much more confident about applying now. One follow-up question - when they calculate your base period quarters, do they use the calendar quarters (Jan-Mar, Apr-Jun, etc.) or is it based on when you actually started working? I started my job in March so I'm trying to figure out which quarters would count for me.
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Connor Gallagher
•They use calendar quarters, not when you started working. So Jan-Mar is Q1, Apr-Jun is Q2, Jul-Sep is Q3, and Oct-Dec is Q4. Your base period would typically be the first four of the last five completed quarters before you file your claim. Since you started in March, your earnings from March would count toward Q1, and so on. The NYS Department of Labor website has a base period calculator that can help you figure out exactly which quarters apply to your situation.
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