NYS Department of Labor unemployment benefit amount - how much percent does unemployment pay in NY?
I just got laid off from my warehouse job where I was making $850 a week and I'm trying to figure out how much my unemployment benefits will be. I know it's based on a percentage but I can't find clear info anywhere. Does anyone know exactly what percent of your salary NYS Department of Labor pays for unemployment? I need to budget for rent and bills while I'm job searching.
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Eloise Kendrick
In NY, unemployment benefits are calculated at 50% of your average weekly wage, but there's a maximum cap. For 2025, the maximum weekly benefit is $504. So if you were making $850/week, you'd get 50% which is $425 per week. The NYS Department of Labor uses your highest quarter earnings from the past year to calculate your base period wages.
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JaylinCharles
•Thanks! So I'd get $425 which is way less than I thought. How long does it take for the first payment after filing?
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Lucas Schmidt
yeah its 50% but dont forget they take taxes out too if you choose that option. i made about the same as you and my actual deposit was like $380 something after taxes
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Freya Collins
•Wait, they tax unemployment benefits? I thought that was just for regular income. This is confusing.
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LongPeri
The 50% calculation is correct, but it's actually based on your highest earning quarter in your base period, not just your most recent salary. If you had a higher paying job earlier in the year, that could increase your benefit amount. You can check your exact calculation on the my.ny.gov portal once your claim is processed.
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JaylinCharles
•I was at this job for 2 years making the same amount so that should be straightforward then.
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Oscar O'Neil
If you're having trouble getting through to NYS Department of Labor to check your benefit amount calculation, I used a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that helped me reach an agent directly. They have this video demo (https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI) that shows how it works. Saved me hours of calling and getting busy signals when I needed to verify my weekly benefit amount.
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Sara Hellquiem
•Never heard of that but anything is better than trying to call NYS Department of Labor directly. Their phone system is impossible.
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Charlee Coleman
just remember you have to do the weekly claims every week even if its the same info over and over. miss one week and they make you start all over again its ridiculous
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Eloise Kendrick
•Actually, you can file a late weekly claim for missed weeks, but it's better to stay on schedule to avoid any delays in payments.
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Paolo Ricci
One thing to keep in mind is that your unemployment benefits may be subject to federal taxes, and you can choose to have 10% withheld automatically when you set up your claim. This might be worth doing if you don't want to deal with a big tax bill next year. Also, the $425/week you'd get is decent but definitely budget tight - I'd recommend applying to jobs aggressively since the benefits only last 26 weeks maximum in NY.
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