What percentage of your income does NYS Department of Labor unemployment pay - need help calculating
I'm trying to figure out how much I'll get from unemployment before I file my claim. I know NYS Department of Labor calculates it based on your income but I can't find a clear answer on what percentage they actually pay. My last job paid $58,000 annually and I worked there for 2 years. Does anyone know the formula they use? I'm worried it won't be enough to cover my rent and bills while I'm job searching.
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Mei Wong
NYS Department of Labor doesn't use a straight percentage like some people think. They calculate your weekly benefit rate using your highest quarter earnings from your base period. Generally you can expect around 50% of your average weekly wage, but there's a maximum cap. For 2025 the max weekly benefit is $504. So if you made $58k, your weekly wage was about $1,115, so 50% would be $557 but you'd be capped at $504.
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Jamal Anderson
•Thanks! So I'd get $504 per week maximum? That's actually more than I was expecting. How long does it usually take for NYS Department of Labor to process the initial claim?
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QuantumQuasar
the formula is confusing but basically they take your highest earning quarter from the past year and divide by 26 to get your weekly rate. then theres the cap like the other person said. mine came out to around 45% of what i was making because of the cap
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Liam McGuire
•Actually it's a bit more complex than that. NYS Department of Labor uses your base period which is the first 4 of the last 5 completed quarters before you file. They take your highest quarter earnings and divide by 26, but you also need to meet minimum earnings requirements in your base period to qualify.
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Amara Eze
I've been trying to get through to NYS Department of Labor for weeks to ask about my benefit calculation and the phone lines are always busy. Has anyone found a way to actually talk to someone there? I keep getting disconnected after waiting on hold forever.
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Mei Wong
•I had the same problem with getting through to NYS Department of Labor agents. I ended up using a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that gets you connected faster. They have a demo video at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI showing how it works. Saved me hours of trying to call myself and I was able to get my questions answered about my benefit amount.
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Amara Eze
•That sounds too good to be true but at this point I'm desperate. I'll check it out, thanks!
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Giovanni Greco
The percentage thing is misleading because of the weekly cap. I was making good money before I got laid off and my unemployment is way less than 50% of my salary. The system is designed to help lower income workers more than higher earners. Just something to keep in mind when budgeting.
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Jamal Anderson
•Yeah that makes sense. I guess I need to start cutting expenses now just in case. At least $504 a week is something to work with while I look for a new job.
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