What percentage do you get on unemployment benefits in NY - confused about calculation

Thank you! That makes more sense than a percentage. I think my highest quarter was around $5,200 so that would be about $200 a week if I'm doing the math right.

I had such a hard time getting through to NYS Department of Labor to check on my claim status when I was waiting for my calculation. Kept getting busy signals for weeks. Actually ended up using claimyr.com to get connected to an agent - they have this video demo thing at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI that shows how it works. Saved me so much frustration trying to call myself.

You need to have enough wages in your base period to qualify. Generally you need wages in at least 2 quarters and total wages of at least $2,600 in your base period. If you only worked 3 months you might not meet the requirements unfortunately.

This is really helpful information about the timing aspect! I hadn't realized that the base period calculation could vary depending on when you actually file your claim. Since I just got laid off last week, would it be better to wait a bit to see if waiting might put me into a more favorable base period, or should I definitely file right away like you suggested? I'm worried about missing out on benefits while I'm trying to time it perfectly, but also want to make sure I'm maximizing what I can get since I need to cover rent and bills.

I'd definitely recommend filing right away! Don't try to time the base period - you'll almost certainly lose out on benefits while you wait, and there's no guarantee the timing would work in your favor anyway. The NYS Department of Labor uses completed calendar quarters, so waiting a few weeks or even a couple months probably won't change which quarters they look at. Plus, every week you wait is a week you can't get benefits for, even if you're approved later. I made the mistake of waiting when I first got laid off thinking I could somehow optimize my base period, and I just ended up missing out on several weeks of payments. File now and at least get the process started - you can always ask questions about your calculation once they process your claim.

@Oliver Brown - Definitely file right away! Don t'try to time the base period - you could end up losing weeks of benefits while you wait, and there s'no guarantee the timing would actually help you anyway. The one-week waiting period means you re'already going to miss a week, so every day you delay costs you money. Plus, if you re'not eligible now due to insufficient wages, waiting a few weeks probably won t'change that since you just got laid off. The NYS Department of Labor will automatically use whichever base period gives you the higher benefit amount if you have wages in multiple periods, so they re'looking out for you there. I made the mistake of overthinking this when I first got laid off and ended up missing out on two weeks of benefits just because I was trying to be strategic about it.

@Oliver Brown I d'definitely recommend filing right away rather than waiting! The one-week waiting period means you re'already losing a week of potential benefits, and trying to time the base period perfectly is really risky. Plus, if your current base period doesn t'work out favorably, NYS Department of Labor has something called an alternate "base period that" uses more recent quarters - but you can only access that if your regular base period doesn t'qualify you or gives you a very low benefit amount. Since you worked 8 months at $18/hour, you should have decent wages in your base period already. The worst thing would be to wait and then find out you missed weeks of benefits for no real gain. You can always call them after filing to ask about alternate base period calculations if your initial amount seems too low.

@Oliver Brown I would definitely file right away rather than trying to time it for a better base period. Here s'why - you can t'get benefits retroactively for weeks before you actually file, so every week you wait is a week of potential benefits you re'losing forever. Plus there s'that one-week waiting period Emma mentioned, so the sooner you file, the sooner payments can start. The base period calculation is pretty standardized and waiting a few weeks or even a month isn t'going to dramatically change which quarters they use. Since you ve'been working steadily at $18/hour for 8 months, you should have a solid earnings history that will qualify you for a decent weekly benefit amount. Better to get the process started now and have that financial support coming in while you job hunt than to gamble on maybe getting a slightly higher amount later.

@Oliver Brown I d'definitely recommend filing right away rather than waiting! The one-week waiting period means you re'already going to have a gap before payments start, and there s'no guarantee that waiting would actually improve your base period calculation. Since you ve'been working steadily for 8 months, your current base period should already reflect most of that income. Plus, if you wait too long, you might miss out on weeks of benefits entirely - and you can t'backdate your claim to cover weeks before you actually filed. The NYS Department of Labor is pretty clear that you should file as soon as you become unemployed. You can always ask them about alternative base period calculations if your standard one doesn t'work out well, but from what you ve'described about your work history, you should be in good shape with the current calculation.

I'd definitely recommend filing right away rather than trying to time it for a better base period. The risk of losing weeks of potential benefits while waiting usually isn't worth it, especially since you have bills to cover. Plus, with 8 months of work history at $18/hour, you should have a solid base period already established. The one-week waiting period means you're already going to be without income for a bit, so don't delay further. You can always check the NYS DOL calculator first to estimate what your benefits would be with your current base period, but in most cases filing immediately is the smart move. Better to have some income coming in while job hunting than to gamble on maybe getting a slightly higher amount later.