Calculate your estimated New York unemployment benefit by entering your earnings below:
This free calculator can help you estimate your New York unemployment benefits. This tool provides an estimate and is not a guarantee of benefits.
New York Unemployment Benefits Calculator
How to use the NY unemployment calculator
Using the New York unemployment calculator is very easy. All you need to do is input your wages from each of the four calendar quarters into the appropriate slot, or move the toggle to the right dollar amount. You can obtain this information from your paycheck or payroll records.
The calculator will show you if (1) you are eligible, (2) your weekly benefit rate, and (3) the number of weeks you can collect unemployment compensation. Things like child support or an earned income tax credit do not count as income.
However, if you have income (wages and tips) from several sources, you should input your combined income, but don’t include income from your spouse. Take note of the number on this calculator in case you need to contest the amount listed on your monetary determination.
How to calculate NY unemployment benefits
Unemployment insurance benefits in New York are subject to a more nuanced calculation than in most states. In order to calculate your weekly benefit amount or WBA, the New York Department of Labor will take your highest earning calendar quarter during your base period.
If you earned wages in all four quarters, and if the earnings in your highest earning quarter exceed $3,575, these wages will be divided by 26 to get the WBA. If you earned less than that in your highest grossing quarter, your benefits will be that quarterly amount divided by 25. The minimum WBA is $124 for all claims filed after January 2, 2023. For those filed before, the minimum is $143.
If you only earned wages in 2 or 3 of the 4 base period quarters, the calculation is different. If your highest quarterly exceeds $4,000, then the average of your two highest quarters will be divided by 26. If you earned $3,576 to $4,000, your highest grossing quarter alone will be divided by 26 to get the WBA. And if you earned $3,575 or less, your highest grossing quarter alone will be divided by 25. In all cases, the minimum WBA is $124 as of January 2, 2023.
The maximum unemployment benefit rate is $504 per week, in all cases.
Every New Yorker collecting UI benefits should know that they can work part time and still collect partial unemployment benefits. If you are working less than 30 hours a week and making less than $504, here’s how your unemployment benefits will be impacted: 11 to 16 hours of work will allow you to collect 75% of benefits, working 17 to 21 hours will allow you to collect 50%, working 22 to 30 hours will allow you to collect 25%, and working 31 hours or more will eliminate your benefits for that week. Keep in mind that if you earn $504 or more, you are ineligible for weekly benefits no matter how many hours you worked. However, you must still report all of your income.
Also, keep in mind that those eligible for pandemic emergency unemployment compensation or pandemic unemployment assistance received an additional amount beyond their basic, regular unemployment. Unfortunately, NY extended benefits are no longer available.
NY unemployment insurance is considered a form of taxable income. However, you do not have to have your taxes taken out of your payment if you would like your weekly benefit wage to be the highest amount it possibly can be.
What is a base period?
A base period is used to determine your income and calculate your weekly benefit amount. In New York, the base period is the first four completed calendar quarters out of the last five complete calendar quarters before the quarter in which you filed your benefits.
If there are not enough wages in your base period to qualify for filing a weekly claim, the New York Department of Labor will use an alternate base period, which is just the most recent four completed calendar quarters before the quarter in which you filed your initial application for unemployment benefits.
When do I get paid?
After you file your initial application, it can take 2-3 weeks before you receive your first benefit payment (in previous times it took 3-6 weeks). That’s because the unemployment office needs time to process your application and verify all of its details. If you are found eligible for unemployment insurance, back benefits will be paid to you for this time period. Make sure that while you are waiting for benefits to be awarded, you continue to file your weekly claim, otherwise you may have those benefits forfeited or delayed. If the Department of Labor attempts to call you or sends you a request for additional information in the mail, you should respond to these inquiries promptly.
Unlike other places in the United States, those found eligible to receive New York unemployment benefits after their initial application will not necessarily receive a Notice of Determination. You will simply start having UI benefits issued via direct deposit or to your unemployment debit card (which will be mailed to you).
If you are not found eligible, on the other hand, you will receive a Notice of Determination explaining why. If you want to enquire about the status of your unemployment claim, you can call the telephone claims center by dialing 888-581-5812, or you can log in to the dashboard at labor.ny.gov.
How do I get paid?
In the State of New York, you can have your unemployment benefits issued either as a direct deposit right into your checking account, or sent to a Key2Benefits Mastercard debit card issued and serviced by KeyBank. It’s a good idea to retain payroll records and tax returns in case you are accused of New York unemployment fraud for collecting more than the state thinks you are owed.
The debit card is the default method for collecting unemployment benefits, so if you want to set up direct deposit, you will have to input your checking account information into the online portal for filing your weekly claim. You may switch to direct deposit by navigating to the Update Your Personal Information on the portal. However, you cannot switch to direct deposit over the phone if you are using the Tel-Service to file your weekly claim.
If you are having any issues collecting your benefits, you do not need to visit one of the New York unemployment office locations in person. If you are receiving the benefits on the debit card, you need to call KeyBank at 866-295-2955 to resolve the issue. If you have selected direct deposit, but are not receiving your deposits, you should call the unemployment customer service at 800-833-3000 between 8:30 AM and 4:30 PM, Monday through Friday, for further instructions on how to resolve this issue.