What are unemployment benefits based on - confused about NYS Department of Labor calculation
I just got laid off from my retail job after working there for 8 months and I'm trying to figure out how much I might get in unemployment benefits. I've been looking at the NYS Department of Labor website but I'm honestly confused about how they calculate the amount. Is it based on my last paycheck? My highest quarter? I was making $18/hour but my hours varied a lot - some weeks I worked 35 hours, other weeks only 20. I also had a different job before this one where I made more money but that was over a year ago. Does that count? Really need to understand this before I file my claim.
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Anastasia Kuznetsov
NYS Department of Labor calculates your weekly benefit rate based on your earnings during your base period, which is usually the first 4 of the last 5 completed calendar quarters before you file. They take your highest quarter earnings and divide by 26 to get your weekly amount. The maximum weekly benefit in NY is currently $504. Your varying hours shouldn't matter as long as you earned enough during the base period to qualify.
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Diego Fernández
•Thanks! So if I made like $8,000 in my best quarter, that would be around $307 per week? That's actually better than I expected.
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Sean Fitzgerald
yeah its based on what you made in the past not your current job necessarily. i think you need to have worked in at least 2 quarters though to qualify. the nys department of labor website has a calculator somewhere but i could never find it when i needed it lol
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Zara Khan
The calculation can be tricky if you had employment gaps or multiple jobs. Since your higher-paying job was over a year ago, it might not be in your base period depending on exactly when you file. You can actually choose an alternate base period in some cases if it gives you a higher benefit amount. I'd suggest calling NYS Department of Labor to clarify your specific situation, but good luck getting through - their phone lines are always swamped.
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MoonlightSonata
•Don't even bother calling, I've been trying for weeks to get through to someone about my claim status. The wait times are insane and half the time you just get disconnected.
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Mateo Gonzalez
•Actually, I found this service called Claimyr at claimyr.com that helped me get through to a NYS Department of Labor agent when I couldn't reach them directly. They have this system that waits on hold for you and connects you when an agent picks up. There's a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI that shows how it works. Saved me hours of trying to call myself and I finally got my benefit calculation explained properly.
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Nia Williams
I went through this same confusion last year! The base period thing is really important to understand. For me, I filed in March 2024 so my base period was October 2022 through September 2023. My most recent job wasn't even counted because it was too recent. Make sure you have all your W-2s and pay stubs ready when you file because NYS Department of Labor will verify everything anyway.
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Luca Ricci
just file already and see what happens, they'll tell you what your benefit is
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