NYS Department of Labor unemployment benefits - how big is the weekly payment amount?
I'm trying to figure out what to expect for my weekly unemployment benefit amount from NYS Department of Labor. I've been working at a marketing firm for the past 18 months making about $52,000 annually before I got laid off last week. Does anyone know how they calculate the weekly benefit amount? I'm seeing conflicting information online about the maximum amounts and I want to make sure I understand what I might qualify for when I file my claim.
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CyberNinja
Your weekly benefit amount is calculated based on your highest quarter of earnings in your base period. For 2025, the maximum weekly benefit is $504. NYS Department of Labor takes your highest quarter earnings, divides by 26, then you get roughly half of that as your weekly benefit. With your salary you'll probably get close to the maximum but it depends on when you worked and how your earnings were distributed.
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Nia Johnson
•Thanks! So if I made around $13,000 in my highest quarter, that would be $500 divided by 2 = $250 weekly? That seems lower than I expected.
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Mateo Lopez
wait i thought the max was higher than that? when i filed last year my friend was getting like $480 something per week
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CyberNinja
•The maximum changes each year. It was $480 in 2024 but went up to $504 for 2025. Your friend was probably getting close to the max for that year.
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Aisha Abdullah
The calculation can be confusing but here's what you need to know: NYS Department of Labor looks at the four quarters before you file (your base period). They take your highest earning quarter, divide by 26, then you get 50% of that amount as your weekly benefit rate. There's also a minimum of $104 per week. If you're having trouble getting through to check your exact amount, I used a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that helped me reach an actual NYS Department of Labor agent to verify my benefit calculation. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI showing how it works.
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Ethan Davis
•Did that actually work for you? I've been trying to call NYS Department of Labor for weeks about my benefit amount and can never get through.
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Aisha Abdullah
•Yes it worked great! I was able to talk to someone within a couple hours instead of spending days trying to call myself. Worth it when you need actual answers about your claim.
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Yuki Tanaka
The whole system is so confusing! I still don't understand why they use quarters instead of just looking at your annual salary. Makes no sense to me.
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Carmen Ortiz
Just remember you'll also need to file your weekly claims and do job searches to keep getting paid. The benefit amount is just one part of the process - staying eligible is the ongoing challenge with NYS Department of Labor requirements.
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