NYS Department of Labor - what do employees pay into unemployment benefits?
I just started a new job in Albany and noticed something called SUI or SDI deductions on my first paycheck. My manager mentioned it's for unemployment insurance but couldn't explain the details. I'm trying to understand exactly what employees pay into unemployment through NYS Department of Labor and how this affects my potential benefits later. Is this automatically deducted from everyone's paycheck? Does the amount I pay in determine what I can collect if I lose my job?
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Miguel Diaz
In New York, employees don't actually pay into regular unemployment insurance - that's funded entirely by employer payroll taxes to NYS Department of Labor. What you're seeing on your paycheck is likely the Disability Benefits Law (DBL) deduction, which is 0.5% of your gross wages up to a yearly maximum. This covers short-term disability benefits, not unemployment insurance.
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Ava Johnson
•Oh wow, I had no idea there was a difference! So the unemployment benefits are completely separate from what I'm paying into?
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Zainab Ahmed
Your employer pays unemployment insurance taxes to fund the system, not you as the employee. The rate varies based on the employer's experience rating with NYS Department of Labor - companies with more former employees who filed claims pay higher rates. Your potential weekly benefit amount is calculated based on your earnings history, not what was paid in.
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Connor Byrne
•That makes sense why some companies are so strict about documenting terminations and fighting false claims
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Yara Abboud
Wait I'm confused because I definitely see unemployment deductions on my stub every week?? Are you sure employees don't pay anything? This doesn't sound right to me.
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Miguel Diaz
•You might be looking at the disability insurance line or possibly working in a state that has employee-paid unemployment taxes. In NY, check if it says 'DBL' or 'SDI' - that's disability, not unemployment insurance.
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PixelPioneer
I had trouble getting through to NYS Department of Labor when I needed to verify my wage history for a claim last year. If you need to speak with someone about benefit calculations or employer contributions, I found this service called Claimyr that helps you actually reach agents by phone. They have a demo video at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI that shows how it works. The site is claimyr.com and it was way easier than spending hours trying to get through myself.
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Keisha Williams
•Interesting, never heard of that before but might be useful if I need to contact them about my claim status
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Keisha Williams
The whole system is confusing honestly. I thought we paid into it like Social Security but apparently not. Good to know it's the employer's responsibility for funding unemployment insurance through NYS Department of Labor.
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