What's the max you can get on unemployment in NY - NYS Department of Labor benefit amounts?

Thanks! So even though I was making $1200 a week, I'd only get the $504 max? That's a pretty big difference but I guess it's better than nothing.

You're right about the work requirements. You need to have worked and earned wages in at least 2 quarters of your base period, and your total base period wages must be at least 1.5 times your high quarter wages. The system will automatically calculate your weekly benefit rate when you file your claim.

I had the same problem until I found this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com). They basically call NYS Department of Labor for you and get you connected to an actual agent. I was skeptical at first but it really works - I got through in like 20 minutes instead of calling for days. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI that shows how it works. Saved me so much frustration dealing with those busy phone lines.

That sounds almost too good to be true but at this point I'm willing to try anything. The automated system keeps telling me to call back later and I'm getting nowhere.

I feel you on this. The benefit amounts haven't kept up with cost of living at all.

That's a good point about the 26 weeks. Even at $504/week that's over $13,000 total if you need the full duration. Just make sure to keep good records of your job search activities since they can audit that stuff. I learned that the hard way when they asked me to provide proof of all my applications.

Thanks for mentioning the benefit calculator - that's really helpful! I didn't know about that tool. Quick question about the tax withholding - what percentage do they typically withhold? I want to make sure I don't get hit with a big tax bill next year since unemployment benefits count as income.

The federal tax withholding rate for unemployment benefits is typically 10%. You can elect to have this withheld when you file your initial claim or change it later by contacting NYS Department of Labor. I'd recommend doing it from the start - it's easier than trying to save up for a tax bill later, especially when you're already dealing with reduced income. Some people also set aside a little extra for state taxes just to be safe.

That's really helpful info about the base period calculation! I'm curious - if someone's high-paying job was only for a short time, could that actually hurt their benefit calculation? Like if you had a lower-paying job for most of the base period but then got the $1,200/week job recently, would NYS Department of Labor use the average of all those quarters or focus more on the highest quarter?

Great question! NYS actually calculates your weekly benefit amount based on your average quarterly wages during the base period, not just your highest quarter. So if you had lower-paying work for most of those quarters and then got the high-paying job recently, it would bring down your average. However, you still need that high quarter to meet the minimum earnings requirements. The system takes your total base period wages, divides by the number of quarters you worked, and then calculates 1/26th of that average - but it's still capped at the $504 maximum. So even a short period of high earnings can help, but it won't completely offset several quarters of lower wages.

This is really eye-opening information about how the base period calculation works! I had no idea they averaged all the quarters instead of just using the highest one. That makes me feel better about my situation - I had a few lower-earning quarters before landing my current job, so I was worried it might hurt my benefit amount. It sounds like even though I won't get the full $504 max, having that higher-paying quarter in there will still help boost my average compared to if I only had the lower wages. Thanks for breaking down the math so clearly!

This is really eye-opening! I had no idea they averaged across all quarters instead of just using your highest quarter. That explains why some people end up with lower benefit amounts than they expected. So basically if you had three quarters of earning $20k each and one quarter of earning $40k, your average would be $25k per quarter, which would give you way less than the $504 max. Makes me think it's worth checking that benefit calculator @bb0ad1cb2c9e mentioned before filing to avoid any surprises.

This is super helpful to understand how the base period calculation actually works! I was worried that starting my high-paying job only 3 months ago would mean I'd get almost nothing, but it sounds like it'll still help boost my average even if it doesn't get me to the full $504 max. Thanks for breaking down the math - the 1/26th formula makes sense now. I guess the key is just making sure you have enough total earnings across all the quarters to meet the minimum requirements.

This is really helpful to understand - I was wondering about this exact scenario! So basically if I had three quarters of earning around $30k annually and then one quarter at the $1,200/week rate (about $15,600 for that quarter), my benefit would be calculated on the average of all four quarters, not just that high-earning quarter. That makes sense why some people don't get close to the $504 max even when they have periods of higher income. Thanks for breaking down how the 1/26th calculation works - I had no idea it was based on the quarterly average rather than just your most recent or highest earnings.

That's great advice about using the system during off-peak hours! I just wanted to add that it's also worth bookmarking the NY.gov unemployment page and familiarizing yourself with all the sections before you actually need to file a claim. There's a lot of useful information buried in there about eligibility requirements, appeal processes, and what to do if you have issues with your claim. I wish I had read through everything more carefully before I started my application - would have saved me some confusion later on.