Why does NYS Department of Labor unemployment pay so little compared to my actual salary?
I just got laid off from my job making $65,000 a year and filed my unemployment claim with NYS Department of Labor. When I calculated what I'll be getting, it's only going to be like $504 a week maximum. That's barely enough to cover my rent let alone food and other bills. I know unemployment isn't supposed to replace your whole salary but this seems ridiculously low. Is there something I'm missing here? Are there any other benefits I can apply for through NYS Department of Labor to supplement this? I'm really stressed about how I'm going to make ends meet.
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Jamal Anderson
Unfortunately that's how the unemployment system works in NY. The maximum weekly benefit amount is currently $504, and it's calculated as roughly 50% of your average weekly wage up to that cap. Since you were making $65k, your weekly gross was about $1,250, so 50% would be $625, but they cap it at $504. The formula hasn't kept up with cost of living increases over the years.
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Zoe Alexopoulos
•That's insane. How is anyone supposed to survive on that? My mortgage alone is $1,800 a month.
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Mei Wong
been there man, its rough. the system is broken imo. you might qualify for SNAP benefits too which helps with food costs. also check if your county has any emergency rental assistance programs running
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QuantumQuasar
You should also look into whether you're eligible for any standby status if your employer indicated you might be recalled. That doesn't change your benefit amount but it can affect your job search requirements. The NYS Department of Labor website has information about all the different programs available. Also make sure you're filing your weekly claims on time every week to avoid any payment delays.
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Zoe Alexopoulos
•No, this was a permanent layoff unfortunately. They shut down our whole department. I'll definitely look into the SNAP benefits though, thanks.
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Liam McGuire
The whole system needs an overhaul. $504 max when rent in most places is $1500+ is just not realistic. I was lucky enough to have some savings when I got laid off last year but I burned through those pretty quick even with unemployment. The worst part is trying to get through to anyone at NYS Department of Labor when you have questions - the phone lines are always jammed.
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Amara Eze
•Actually, I found a service called Claimyr that helped me get through to NYS Department of Labor when I was having issues with my claim. You can check it out at claimyr.com - they have a demo video at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI that shows how it works. It was way easier than spending hours on hold.
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Liam McGuire
•Interesting, never heard of that. Might be worth looking into if I have issues again.
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Giovanni Greco
wait i thought unemployment was like 60% of your salary? thats what my friend told me when she got laid off from her job in albany
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Jamal Anderson
•It varies by state. Some states do have higher replacement rates, but NY is around 50% with that $504 weekly maximum cap.
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Fatima Al-Farsi
This is exactly why I keep telling people to have an emergency fund! You can't rely on the government to take care of you. That said, definitely apply for everything you qualify for and start job hunting immediately. The job market is actually pretty good right now in most industries.
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Zoe Alexopoulos
•Easy to say when you have extra money to save. Some of us are living paycheck to paycheck already.
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