How is the New York weekly benefit calculated?

New York divides your highest-earning base-period quarter by 26 to get your weekly benefit, or by 25 if that high quarter was $3,575 or less. The result is capped at the state maximum weekly benefit amount, which is $504 for 2024, and floored at the $124 minimum for eligible claimants.

What is the base period in New York?

The base period is the first four of the last five completed calendar quarters before you file. New York looks at your wages in those quarters to decide both eligibility and benefit size. If you do not qualify on the standard base period, the state may use an alternate base period.

How long can I collect unemployment in New York?

Regular New York unemployment insurance pays up to 26 weeks of benefits within a benefit year. The tool multiplies your weekly amount by 26 to show the maximum total, though actual duration depends on continued eligibility and certifying each week.

What makes me eligible for New York unemployment?

You generally need wages in at least two quarters of the base period and total base-period wages of at least one and a half times your high-quarter wages, plus you must be unemployed through no fault of your own and able and available for work. This tool checks the wage tests only.

Is the maximum benefit really $504 a week?

Yes, $504 is the maximum weekly benefit amount for claims established in 2024. High earners are capped at this figure no matter how much they earned, which is why many New York claimants receive exactly $504. Lower earners receive a proportionally smaller amount.

New York Unemployment Benefit Estimator

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The New York Unemployment Benefit Estimator projects your weekly unemployment insurance payment from your past wages. New York bases your benefit on the single highest-earning quarter of your base period, not your annual salary, and caps every claim at a maximum weekly benefit amount of $504 for 2024. This tool implements the real high-quarter formula plus the state’s eligibility wage tests so you can see a realistic estimate before you file.

How it works

Your base period is the first four of the last five completed calendar quarters. You enter your gross wages for each of those four quarters. The tool finds your high quarter (the largest) and your total base-period wages. The weekly benefit is the high quarter divided by 26 — or by 25 if the high quarter was $3,575 or less — then capped at the $504 maximum and floored at the $124 minimum. For eligibility it checks two wage rules: you must have wages in at least two quarters, and your total base-period wages must be at least 1.5 times your (capped) high quarter. If you pass, the maximum duration is 26 weeks.

Example and notes

A claimant whose high quarter is $9,000 divides by 26 to get about $346 a week, well under the cap, payable for up to 26 weeks — roughly $9,000 total. Someone with a very high quarter is simply capped at $504. The estimate covers the wage formula only: the New York Department of Labor makes the official determination, may use an alternate base period, and applies separability rules about why you left your job. All math runs locally in your browser.