NYS Department of Labor unemployment check amount - how much is the unemployment check weekly?
Just got approved for unemployment after my restaurant job ended last month. The NYS Department of Labor portal shows my claim is active but I'm confused about how they calculate the weekly benefit amount. My base period wages were around $28,000 from working at two different places. Does anyone know what the actual weekly payment should be? I see something about a maximum benefit rate but can't figure out if that applies to me.
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Elin Robinson
Your weekly benefit rate is calculated as 1/26th of your highest quarter earnings during your base period, up to the state maximum. For 2025, the maximum weekly benefit in NY is $504. So if your highest quarter was $7,000 or more, you'd get the max. Otherwise it's roughly your highest quarter divided by 26 weeks.
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Ivanna St. Pierre
•Thanks! My highest quarter was probably around $8,500 so I should get close to the maximum then. That helps a lot.
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Atticus Domingo
yeah the amounts are decent now compared to a few years ago, just make sure you're doing your weekly claims on time or you'll miss payments
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Beth Ford
I've been trying to get through to someone at NYS Department of Labor for weeks to ask about my benefit calculation because the online portal isn't showing the breakdown clearly. The phone system just hangs up on me after being on hold forever. This is so frustrating when you need answers about your money.
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Morita Montoya
•I had the same problem reaching them until I found out about Claimyr. It's a service that calls NYS Department of Labor for you and gets you connected to an actual agent. Check out claimyr.com - they have a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI that shows exactly how it works. Saved me hours of trying to get through myself.
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Beth Ford
•That actually sounds really helpful. I'll check it out because I really need to talk to someone about why my calculation seems off.
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Kingston Bellamy
Don't forget about the partial benefit formula if you're working part time while collecting. It gets complicated with the earnings deduction but basically you can earn up to $504 per week before it affects your unemployment completely. The NYS Department of Labor deducts 25% of anything you earn over $100 from your weekly benefit.
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Joy Olmedo
•Wait, I thought it was 50% of earnings over $100? Or am I thinking of something else? This stuff is so confusing.
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Kingston Bellamy
•No, it's 25% for regular UI in NY. You might be thinking of a different state or a different program. The formula is your weekly benefit rate minus 25% of earnings over $100.
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Isaiah Cross
The whole system is a joke anyway. They make it impossible to understand on purpose so people give up and don't claim what they're owed. I've been fighting with NYS Department of Labor for months over my benefit rate calculation and nobody can give me a straight answer.
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Joy Olmedo
•I feel you on that. The website is confusing and getting anyone on the phone is nearly impossible.
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