What is the percentage of unemployment pay calculation for NYS Department of Labor benefits?
I'm trying to figure out exactly how much I'll get from unemployment. I know it's based on your previous wages but I can't find clear info on what percentage of your old salary the NYS Department of Labor actually pays out. Is it 50%? 60%? And is that before or after taxes? My last job paid $52,000 annually and I'm trying to budget while I look for work. Anyone know the exact formula they use?
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PixelWarrior
It's not a straight percentage like that. NYS Department of Labor calculates your weekly benefit rate using your highest quarter of earnings from your base period (first 4 of last 5 completed quarters). They take that quarter, divide by 13, then you get roughly 50% of that amount. Maximum weekly benefit is $504 in 2025. So if you made $52k, depends on how your earnings were distributed across quarters.
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Liam Fitzgerald
•So it's 50% of my highest quarter divided by 13 weeks? That seems really confusing. Why don't they just use annual salary?
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Amara Adebayo
The formula is actually your base period high quarter wages ÷ 26 = weekly benefit rate. Then you get half of your average weekly wage up to the maximum. It's NOT 50% of your total salary. I made about $48k last year and only get $312/week because my earnings weren't evenly distributed.
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Giovanni Rossi
•Wait I thought it was divided by 13 not 26? Now I'm confused about my own calculation...
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Fatima Al-Mansour
ugh the math is so confusing!! i just want to know if i can pay rent. why cant they just tell you upfront what youll get instead of all this base period quarter stuff
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Dylan Evans
I had the same question when I filed. Spent forever trying to reach someone at NYS Department of Labor to explain the calculation. Finally used this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me through to an actual agent who walked through my specific numbers. There's even a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI showing how it works. Way easier than sitting on hold for hours.
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Liam Fitzgerald
•How much does that cost? I'm already worried about money and don't want to pay for something I should be able to get for free.
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Dylan Evans
•Honestly it was worth it for the peace of mind. Took like 10 minutes to get through instead of calling all day and getting busy signals.
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Sofia Gomez
The percentage thing is misleading because it depends on your work pattern. I worked seasonal jobs so my high quarter was way different than my low quarters. Got way less than 50% of what I thought I'd get. NYS Department of Labor really needs better calculators on their website.
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StormChaser
same here! thought id get way more than what they approved me for. the whole system is designed to confuse people
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