Which state has the highest unemployment pay - considering moving from NY
I've been on NYS Department of Labor unemployment for about 8 weeks now and getting $504 per week which feels pretty decent but I keep hearing other states pay way more. My lease is up in three months and I'm wondering if it's worth relocating somewhere with higher UI benefits while I'm still job hunting. Does anyone know which states actually have the highest maximum weekly benefit amounts? I know there's rules about establishing residency and all that but curious what's out there. My claim here in NY has been pretty smooth through the NYS Department of Labor system so far but the money situation is getting tight.
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Anna Kerber
You can't just move states to get higher unemployment benefits. You have to file in the state where you worked and earned your wages. If you move while collecting NYS Department of Labor benefits, you'd still be getting NY rates and have to follow NY job search requirements. The only way to get benefits in a new state is if you work there first and then become unemployed.
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Roger Romero
•Oh wow I had no idea! I thought you could transfer your claim if you moved. So I'm stuck with NY rates no matter where I live?
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Niko Ramsey
Massachusetts has really high max benefits, like $800+ per week I think. But yeah like the other person said, you can't just move there and start collecting. You'd have to work there first. Plus cost of living is insane so even higher benefits don't go as far.
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Seraphina Delan
I was having trouble getting through to NYS Department of Labor to ask about interstate stuff and used this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that actually got me connected to a real person. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI that shows how it works. Turns out you definitely can't change states for better benefits - your claim stays with the state where you earned the wages that qualified you.
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Roger Romero
•Thanks for the info! I'll check that service out if I need to call them again. This whole interstate thing is confusing.
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Jabari-Jo
why would you even want to move while unemployed?? that seems like the worst possible time to relocate somewhere new without a job lined up
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Kristin Frank
The system is designed so you can't state shop for benefits. Your unemployment claim is tied to your work history and the state where you paid into the unemployment insurance fund. Even if you move, your weekly claims and job search requirements stay with your original state's Department of Labor. You can live anywhere in the US while collecting but you're still bound by your filing state's rules and benefit amounts.
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Micah Trail
Wait so if I move to Florida while collecting NYS Department of Labor benefits, do I still have to do the job search stuff for NY jobs or can I look for Florida jobs?? This is so confusing and I might need to move for family reasons soon.
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Anna Kerber
•You can search for jobs anywhere but you still have to meet NYS Department of Labor requirements for your weekly claims. You'd report your job search activities to NY even if you're looking in Florida.
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