What is the percentage of unemployment rate for NYS Department of Labor benefits calculation?

NY unemployment benefits aren't calculated as a straight percentage of your wages. NYS Department of Labor uses your highest quarter earnings from your base period to determine your weekly benefit rate. The maximum is around 50% of your average weekly wage, but there's a cap at $504 per week for 2025. Since you made $18/hour, you'd probably get somewhere between $320-400 weekly depending on your exact earnings history.

i think its like 50% but not sure, my friend got unemployment last year and said it was about half what he made working

The calculation is more complex than a simple percentage. NYS Department of Labor looks at your base period (first 4 of the last 5 completed quarters) and takes your highest earning quarter, divides by 26, then applies their formula. For someone making $18/hour full-time, you'd likely qualify for around $370-390 per week assuming you worked consistently. You can check your exact amount once your claim is processed - it shows up in your account on my.ny.gov.

If you're having trouble getting through to NYS Department of Labor to check your benefit amount, I used a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that helped me reach an actual agent. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI showing how it works. Really saved me time instead of calling for hours and getting disconnected. Might be worth checking out if you need to talk to someone about your specific calculation.

The NYS Department of Labor system is so confusing with all these calculations! Why can't they just tell you upfront what you'll get? I spent forever trying to figure out my benefit amount when I filed last month. Still waiting for my first payment too even though my claim was approved.