What was unemployment benefit amount in NYS Department of Labor system during 2024?
I'm trying to figure out what the weekly unemployment benefit amounts were through NYS Department of Labor in 2024. I had a claim that got approved late in the year but I'm confused about the payment calculations. My base period wages were around $52,000 and I was getting $420 per week but I'm not sure if that was the right amount. Does anyone know what the maximum weekly benefit was for 2024? Also wondering if there were any changes to the formula during the year that might have affected my payments.
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Salim Nasir
The maximum weekly benefit rate for NYS Department of Labor unemployment in 2024 was $504. Your benefit amount is calculated as 50% of your average weekly wage during your base period, up to that maximum. With your base period wages of $52k, your weekly average would be around $1000, so 50% of that would be $500, but capped at the $504 maximum. Your $420 sounds low - you might want to check if all your wages were properly included in the base period calculation.
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Quinn Herbert
•That's really helpful, thank you! I think there might have been an issue with how they calculated my base period then. Should I contact NYS Department of Labor to review this?
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Hazel Garcia
yeah the max was definitely $504 in 2024, i was getting the full amount. but sometimes they dont count all your employers if the wage reports werent filed correctly. you should log into your my.ny.gov account and check the monetary determination to see exactly which wages they used
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Quinn Herbert
•Good point about checking the monetary determination. I'll look at that tonight and see if any wages are missing.
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Laila Fury
I had a similar issue where NYS Department of Labor wasn't counting wages from one of my jobs. Took forever to get through on the phone to fix it. If you need to reach them about a calculation error, I found this service called Claimyr that helps you actually get connected to an agent. Check out claimyr.com - they have a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI that shows how it works. Made a huge difference for me since the regular phone lines are impossible.
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Geoff Richards
•How much does something like that cost though? Seems like it should be free to reach your own state agency.
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Laila Fury
•I get that frustration but honestly after weeks of trying to get through the normal way, it was worth it to actually talk to someone who could fix my benefit calculation.
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Simon White
The NYS Department of Labor system is such a mess when it comes to wage calculations. I've seen so many people get underpaid because of employer reporting errors or system glitches. The fact that you have to fight just to get the correct amount you're entitled to is ridiculous.
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Hugo Kass
same thing happened to me last year!! turned out one employer didn't report my wages correctly to NYS Department of Labor and it took 3 months to get it fixed and get my back pay
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Fatima Al-Farsi
I went through something similar in 2024 and had to appeal my benefit amount. The key thing to check is your base period - it's usually the first 4 of the last 5 completed calendar quarters before you filed. So if you filed late in 2024, make sure they're using the right quarters and all your W-2 wages are included. I found out one of my part-time jobs wasn't reporting correctly to NYS Department of Labor. You can request a wage transcript from the department to verify what they have on file versus what you actually earned. Don't give up - you're entitled to the correct amount based on your actual wages.
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Daniel Washington
•This is really detailed advice, thank you! I didn't realize I could request a wage transcript directly from NYS Department of Labor. That sounds like the best way to verify if they have all my earnings on file. Do you remember how long it took to get the wage transcript when you requested it? I'm hoping to get this sorted out soon since the difference in my weekly benefit amount really adds up over time.
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Javier Gomez
I had a very similar experience with NYS Department of Labor in 2024! My weekly benefit was also lower than expected and it turned out to be a base period issue. The $420 you're getting does seem low for your income level. One thing that helped me was filing an online inquiry through the NYS DOL website - sometimes it's faster than calling. Also make sure to check if you had any employers who might have been classified as independent contractor work that should have been W-2 wages. The department sometimes misses those or they get reported late. If you do find missing wages, you can request a redetermination and they'll recalculate your benefit amount retroactively. It's definitely worth pursuing since you could be missing out on significant money over the life of your claim.
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Keisha Taylor
•This is really helpful information! I didn't know about the online inquiry option through the NYS DOL website - that sounds like it might be worth trying before dealing with their phone system. The point about independent contractor work is interesting too. I did have some freelance work in 2024 that I'm not sure was properly classified. How do you go about requesting a redetermination if you find missing wages? Is there a specific form or process for that through NYS Department of Labor?
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