What is unemployment payment amount in NY - need help understanding NYS Department of Labor benefits
I just lost my job after working at a retail store for 8 months and I'm trying to figure out how much money I can get from unemployment. I've never filed for benefits before and I'm really confused about how NYS Department of Labor calculates the payment amounts. My manager said I should apply but didn't explain anything about what to expect. Can someone break down what unemployment payment actually means and how much I might get? I was making about $16 per hour working about 30-35 hours a week. Really stressed about paying rent next month.
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Amina Diop
Unemployment payments in NY are calculated based on your earnings during your base period, which is typically the first 4 of the last 5 completed calendar quarters before you filed. NYS Department of Labor takes your highest quarter earnings and divides by 26 to get your weekly benefit rate. The maximum weekly benefit in 2025 is $504. With your hours and wage, you're probably looking at somewhere between $180-250 per week, but you'll need to file a claim to get the exact amount.
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Paolo Moretti
•Thanks! That's actually more than I expected. Do I get this money automatically or do I have to do something every week?
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Oliver Weber
You have to file weekly claims every week to get paid. It's not automatic. You'll need to certify that you're actively looking for work and report any income you earned that week. The weekly claim asks about job contacts, any work you did, and if you were available for work. Miss a week and you don't get paid for that week.
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Paolo Moretti
•How many jobs do I need to apply to each week? I heard it's like 3 but someone else said it's more.
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Amina Diop
•It's 3 job contacts per week minimum. You need to keep a log of where you applied, when, and what type of position. NYS Department of Labor can audit your job search activities.
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Natasha Romanova
just want to say unemployment saved my life when i got laid off last year. the payments aren't huge but they definitely help with basic expenses. make sure you apply asap because there's usually a waiting week
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NebulaNinja
I had trouble reaching anyone at NYS Department of Labor when I had questions about my payment amount. The phone lines are always busy and the online chat rarely works. I ended up using a service called Claimyr that helped me get through to an actual agent. Check out claimyr.com - they have a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI that shows how it works. Made the whole process way less stressful.
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Paolo Moretti
•Is that legit? I'm worried about scams since I'm already in a tough spot financially.
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NebulaNinja
•Yeah it's legitimate. They just help you get connected to the actual NYS Department of Labor agents. I was skeptical too but it worked when I couldn't get through on my own.
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Javier Gomez
The unemployment system is so confusing!! I filed 3 weeks ago and I still don't know if I'm getting the right amount. My claim says approved but the payment seems lower than what I calculated. Why can't they just make this stuff easier to understand???
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Oliver Weber
•Check your monetary determination letter in your online account. It breaks down exactly how they calculated your weekly benefit rate and shows your base period wages.
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Emma Wilson
ugh the whole system is designed to make it hard to get benefits. they want you to give up and stop filing. i've been dealing with adjudication for 2 months over some stupid paperwork issue and still no payments
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Amina Diop
•Adjudication can be frustrating but it's usually for a legitimate reason like verifying your separation reason or work availability. Have you checked what documents they're requesting?
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