What is the unemployment pay rate for NYS Department of Labor benefits in 2025?
I'm trying to figure out how much I'll get if I file for unemployment. I've been working at a restaurant for about 2 years making around $18/hour, usually 35-40 hours per week. Does anyone know what the unemployment pay rate is right now? I heard it depends on your wages but I'm not sure how they calculate it. Also wondering if there's a maximum amount they'll pay regardless of what you made before.
10 comments
Join the conversation
Hugh Intensity
The NYS Department of Labor calculates your weekly benefit rate based on your highest quarter of earnings in your base period. For 2025, the maximum weekly benefit is $504. Your rate is typically about 50% of your average weekly wage, but it can't exceed that max. You'll need to look at your earnings from the last 4 completed calendar quarters before you filed.
0 coins
Sunny Wang
•Thanks! So if I made about $3,000 in my best quarter, what would that work out to roughly?
0 coins
Effie Alexander
I think there's also a minimum weekly benefit amount too, like $104 or something. The exact formula is kind of complicated - they take your high quarter wages, divide by 26, then take half of that. But there are caps on both ends.
0 coins
Melissa Lin
•Yeah the minimum is $104 for 2025. I barely qualified when I lost my part-time job last year.
0 coins
Lydia Santiago
ugh the whole calculation is so confusing! I've been trying to figure this out for my sister who got laid off. The NYS Department of Labor website has a benefit calculator but it asks for all these specific wage amounts from different quarters and she doesn't have all her pay stubs anymore
0 coins
Hugh Intensity
•She can request a wage transcript from NYS Department of Labor that shows all the wages employers reported for her. That might be easier than tracking down old pay stubs.
0 coins
Romeo Quest
If you're having trouble getting through to NYS Department of Labor to ask about your specific rate, I had luck using a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that helped me get connected to an actual agent. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI showing how it works. Saved me hours of busy signals when I needed to verify my benefit calculation.
0 coins
Sunny Wang
•Interesting, never heard of that. Did they charge you for it or is it free to use?
0 coins
Romeo Quest
•There's a cost but it was worth it for me since I couldn't get through any other way. Much better than sitting on hold for hours.
0 coins
Val Rossi
Just remember the pay rate is before taxes! They don't automatically take out federal taxes unless you request it, so you might owe at tax time if you don't plan for it.
0 coins