NYS Department of Labor unemployment pay rates - trying to figure out what I might qualify for
I'm looking into filing for unemployment benefits and trying to understand how much NYS Department of Labor pays out these days. I know the amounts changed a lot over the past few years but I'm having trouble finding current information about what the weekly benefit amounts actually are in 2025. My last job paid around $52,000 annually and I'm wondering what I could expect if I need to file a claim. Has anyone filed recently and can share what kind of weekly benefit amount you received? I want to budget properly while I look for new work.
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Zoe Papadakis
NYS Department of Labor calculates your weekly benefit amount based on your highest quarter earnings in your base period. For 2025, the maximum weekly benefit is $504 and the minimum is $104. Your benefit will be roughly half of your average weekly wage from your highest earning quarter. With a $52k salary, you're probably looking at somewhere around $350-400 per week depending on your exact earnings history.
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Andre Dupont
•That's really helpful, thank you! Do you know if that amount stays the same for the full 26 weeks or does it decrease over time?
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ThunderBolt7
The weekly amount stays the same for your entire claim period, which is typically 26 weeks in NY. Just remember you have to file your weekly claim every week and meet the job search requirements - you need to make at least 3 job contacts per week and keep a detailed log. Also make sure you're available and able to work when you certify each week.
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Jamal Edwards
wait i thought unemployment was paying way more than that?? my friend was getting like $800 a week
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Zoe Papadakis
•That was during the pandemic when there were federal supplements. Those ended in 2021. Now it's just the regular NYS Department of Labor benefits based on your earnings.
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Mei Chen
I've been trying to get through to NYS Department of Labor for weeks to check on my claim status and it's impossible! The phone lines are always busy and when I do get through I get disconnected. Someone told me about this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that helps you get through to unemployment agents. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI showing how it works. Might be worth checking out if you need to talk to someone at NYS Department of Labor.
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Liam O'Sullivan
•Never heard of that but honestly anything that helps get through to an actual person at NYS Department of Labor sounds good to me. The automated system is useless when you have real questions.
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Amara Okonkwo
Just keep in mind you can only collect unemployment if you were laid off or lost your job through no fault of your own. If you quit or were fired for misconduct, you won't qualify. Also, if you receive any severance pay, that might affect when your benefits start.
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