How much unemployment will I get in New York, and how do I file?

How much unemployment you get in New York

If you were paid wages in all four quarters of your base period, your weekly benefit rate is your high-quarter wages divided by 26. Your high quarter is the quarter of the base period in which you were paid the most. If that comes to less than $143, your rate is $143. If your high-quarter wages are $3,575 or less, the rate is your high-quarter wages divided by 25. NYSDOL P832

For steady pay, that is half of your weekly pay, up to the maximum. A quarter has 13 weeks, so 1/26 of a quarter's wages is half a week's pay: $800 a week is $10,400 a quarter, and $10,400 divided by 26 is $400. Your rate is half your weekly pay or $869, whichever is less. At $275 a week or less (a quarter of $3,575 or less), 1/25 of the quarter works out to 52% of a week's pay.

• The maximum: $869 a week. The maximum benefit rate rose to $869 starting October 6, 2025, the first change since 2019, and payments at the new rate began the week of October 13. The Department said 27% of claimants would receive the new maximum. Nobody had to apply for it: rates were recalculated from the earnings already reported. On November 1, 2026 the Department still gave $869 as the maximum.NYSDOL: What is the Maximum Benefit Rate? · DOL July 2026
• The minimum: $140 a week. The minimum benefit rate is $140 as of January 2026: $3,500, the least a best quarter can hold for a 2026 claim, divided by 25.NYSDOL P832
• Paid in only two or three quarters. If your high-quarter wages are more than $4,000, your rate is the average of your two highest quarters, divided by 26, and at least $143. The Department's example: quarters of $4,500 and $4,288 average $4,394, and $4,394 divided by 26 is $169 a week. From $3,576 to $4,000, it is your high quarter divided by 26, and at least $143.NYSDOL P832

Do you have enough wages? The base period and the three tests

Your basic base period is the first four of the last five completed calendar quarters before the quarter in which you file. A claim filed in November 2026 uses July 1, 2025 through June 30, 2026. If you don't have enough wages in it, the Department uses your alternate base period, the last four completed quarters: for that claim, October 2025 through September 2026. The quarter in which you file never counts. NYSDOL P832 · NYSDOL glossary

To qualify, your base period must meet all three tests: NYSDOL P832

• you were paid wages in jobs covered by unemployment insurance in at least 2 calendar quarters;
• for claims filed in 2026, you were paid at least $3,500 in one quarter (up from $3,400 for claims filed in 2025); and
• your total base-period wages are at least 1.5 times your high quarter. If your high quarter was $19,118 or more, you instead need at least $9,559 in the other three quarters combined.

• Wages missing or wrong? Send a Request for Reconsideration with proof, such as pay stubs. If you were paid in cash or off the books and have no proof, explain why. The Department may check with your employers and mails a revised Monetary Determination if your rate changes; approved increases come with back payments, which should arrive within 3 weeks of the notice.NYSDOL: Request for Reconsideration
• Higher with the alternate base period? The Department does not check this for you if your basic base period qualifies. Ask with the Request for Alternate Base Period form: it must reach the Department within 10 days from the "Date Mailed" on the Monetary Determination. Wages used for this claim cannot be used again for a later one.NYSDOL: Request for Reconsideration · NYSDOL P832
• Out on workers' compensation? An extended base period adds the one or two quarters before your basic base period, for claimants who received workers' compensation or volunteer firefighters' benefits and don't qualify otherwise.NYSDOL glossary

How long New York unemployment lasts

You can be paid for up to 26 weeks in a benefit year. The benefit year begins the Monday after the week you file your original claim and lasts one year; benefits you did not use cannot be claimed after its ending date. NYSDOL claimant benefit process · NYSDOL glossary · DOL July 2026

New York counts benefits in effective days. A week has at most 4 effective days, and you need all 4 for your full weekly rate; each day you don't qualify (a day you are not available, or a day of vacation or holiday pay) costs one effective day, a quarter of your rate. A claim holds at most 104 effective days, which is 26 full weeks. Partial weeks stretch a claim until you reach that total or the benefit year ends. NYSDOL glossary

The waiting week. Claims filed on and after June 28, 2021 include an unpaid waiting week: you are not paid for the first full week, but you must still certify for it, stay ready, willing and able to work, and do your work search. If you are eligible, the first payment generally comes 2 to 3 weeks after your claim is complete and processed, with any back weeks owed. NYSDOL: Certify for weekly benefits · NYSDOL glossary

• Training: the 599 program. If the Department approves your training under Section 599 of the Unemployment Insurance Law, you can keep receiving benefits while you attend and you are excused from the work search. The training must be at least 12 registered credit hours a semester or 12 classroom hours a week, and finish within 24 months. Apply within the first 13 weeks of your claim to get the most; the 599 Central Review Unit is at 518-402-0189. It does not pay tuition.NYSDOL: Training/599 Program FAQ
• Up to 26 more weeks while in training. If you are still in approved training when regular benefits run out, you may get up to 26 weeks of additional benefits under Section 599.2. The law caps them at $20 million a year, so there is a waiting list by approval date: on November 1, 2026 the Department said funds were available for approval dates of 8/17/2026 and earlier.NYSDOL: Training/599 Program FAQ
• No extended benefits now. The federal-state Extended Benefits program was not on in any state in the Department of Labor's trigger notice effective October 25, 2026; New York's last period ended September 5, 2021.DOL Trigger Notice No. 2026-41

Who qualifies: why the job ended, and being ready to work

You must have lost work through no fault of your own, be ready, willing and able to work, and be actively looking for work. Ready, willing and able means you can start a job right away, even at a moment's notice, and you are able to work: not sick, in the hospital, or without child care. NYSDOL P832 · NYSDOL glossary

• Quitting, or fired for misconduct. You are disqualified if you quit without good cause, quit because of marriage, or lost the job because of misconduct, until you work again and earn at least 10 times your weekly benefit rate. Self-employment doesn't count, and you must again be out of work through no fault of your own. Misconduct is any act or omission you knew was not permitted on the job and that caused or could have caused harm to the employer.NYSDOL hearing FAQ · NYSDOL glossary
• A felony at work. If you were discharged for a felony connected with the job and admitted it in writing or were convicted, you are disqualified for 12 months after the discharge, and those wages can't be used for a claim.NYSDOL hearing FAQ
• Turning down a job. Refusing, without good cause, a job you are fitted for that pays the prevailing wage disqualifies you. After 10 full weeks of benefits, suitable work also includes any job you can do that pays the prevailing wage and at least 80% of your base-period high-quarter wages. A reasonable distance is generally 1 hour by private transportation or one and one-half hours by public transportation.NYSDOL hearing FAQ · NYSDOL work search FAQ
• A strike. If you lose work in a labor dispute, there is normally a 7-day suspension; the Department suggests filing on or after the 8th day of the strike. A lockout, permanent replacements or the end of the dispute can make you eligible sooner.NYSDOL hearing FAQ

Certifying every week, and the work search

After you file, you must claim benefits for each week you are unemployed. This is called certifying. For unemployment insurance a week runs Monday to Sunday. You certify for the week just ended from its last day, Sunday, through the following Saturday, the claim window. Certify online at labor.ny.gov/signin with your NY.gov ID, under Unemployment Services, or by phone at 1-888-581-5812: Monday to Friday from 7:30 AM until midnight, and from 12:01 AM Saturday until midnight on Sunday. NYSDOL: Certify for weekly benefits · NYSDOL contact

The work search. You must do at least three work search activities each week, or follow a Work Search Plan the Department approved, and keep a Work Search Record: online in JobZone, or on paper kept for one year. The Department verifies the contacts you list. Activities include applying to employers, interviews, job fairs and workshops, Career Center services, civil service exams, and registering with agencies, unions and placement offices. NYSDOL work search FAQ

• No work search is required during a temporary layoff with a written return-to-work date up to eight consecutive weeks away, if you get work through a union hiring hall, while in approved 599 training, during jury service, in a Shared Work program or Self Employment Assistance, or once you have accepted a job that starts within a reasonable time. NYSDOL work search FAQ
• Work means any service on any day of the week, even an hour or less, including unpaid self-employment or freelance work. Don't claim a day you worked, even before your first paycheck. NYSDOL: Certify for weekly benefits

Working part time while you collect

New York reduces benefits by the hours you work, not by the days. You can work up to 7 days a week and still get benefits if you work 30 hours or fewer and earn no more than the maximum benefit rate, $869, in gross pay, not counting self-employment earnings. When you certify, you report a number of days worked from your total hours: NYSDOL: Partial Unemployment Eligibility · NYSDOL glossary

Count no more than 10 hours for any one day. Round up to the nearest hour. If your 17 hours were all worked on one calendar day, they count as 10, so you report 1 day. You still report your total gross earnings for the week, and if they are more than the maximum benefit rate, you get no benefit that week however few hours you worked. NYSDOL: Partial Unemployment Eligibility

Severance, pensions, vacation and holiday pay

• Severance or dismissal pay stops benefits only if it is more than the maximum weekly benefit rate a week, counting a lump sum by the weeks it covers, and you get the first payment within 30 days after your last day of work. If the first payment comes more than 30 days after your last day, you can be eligible. If severance starts within 30 days, call the Telephone Claims Center right away, or you may have to repay benefits. NYSDOL: Dismissal/Severance Pay and Pensions FAQ
• WARN Act pay for a mass layoff is not severance and does not reduce benefits. Pension, retirement, accrued leave and health insurance payments are not dismissal pay either. NYSDOL: Dismissal/Severance Pay and Pensions FAQ
• A pension from a base-period employer reduces your rate by 100% of its weekly prorated amount, unless you paid for all of it yourself. An employer-funded 401(k) payout can count; rolling a pension or 401(k) into an IRA does not. NYSDOL: Dismissal/Severance Pay and Pensions FAQ
• Vacation and holiday pay count only for days in the week you claim: vacation scheduled before you lost the job, or a holiday in that week. Pay for unused vacation days just because the job ended doesn't count. NYSDOL: Certify for weekly benefits

How to file for unemployment in New York

1. 1File online or by phone. Online at labor.ny.gov/signin with an NY.gov ID; the Department says it is best to file between 7:30 AM and 7:30 PM, with any VPN or proxy turned off. Or call the Telephone Claims Center at 1-888-209-8124, Monday to Friday, 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM.
2. 2Have your details ready. Your personal information and your employers' information. Answer every question, and create a 4-digit PIN.
3. 3Verify your identity if asked. The Department uses ID.me. A caller from the Department will confirm the date you filed and the type of claim.
4. 4Read your Monetary Benefit Determination. It shows your base period, your employers, your wages and your benefit rate. It does not decide whether you are eligible.
5. 5Certify every week, starting with the waiting week. And respond right away to every questionnaire, message, form and call from the Department.
6. 6Get paid. By direct deposit or a bank debit card, generally 2 to 3 weeks after your claim is complete and processed.

To check your claim, sign in at labor.ny.gov/signin and open Unemployment Services, or send a message to the Telephone Claims Center from your account inbox. Claims take at least three weeks to be reviewed and processed, longer if issues arise; until then the status may show as pending. NYSDOL claimant benefit process · NYSDOL Claimant Advocate Office · NYSDOL glossary

New York unemployment appeals: 30 days, then 20, then 30

1. 1A Notice of Determination. If you are denied benefits or told you were overpaid, the notice gives the reason, how long the denial lasts and how to requalify. Request a hearing online or by mail or fax (518-457-9378): it must be postmarked or otherwise proven filed within 30 days after the determination was mailed or handed to you. Unless shown otherwise, a determination counts as mailed on the date printed on it and received within 5 business days. Include your Social Security number and why you disagree.
2. 2The hearing. An administrative law judge of the Unemployment Insurance Appeal Board hears you, your employer and any witnesses, and the testimony is recorded. Bring every paper from the Department and anything that supports you: pay stubs, letters, handbooks, doctors' notes. You can bring a lawyer or anyone else to help; only a lawyer or a registered agent can charge a fee, and only if you win. The Appeal Board's list of free and paid representatives is also available at 1-833-910-4382.
3. 3Missed it, or the decision is late? If you miss the hearing, the judge decides without you; with a good reason, such as a medical emergency, you can apply in writing to reopen. If no decision arrives within three weeks, contact the Telephone Claims Center or the judge's office.
4. 4The Appeal Board. You have 20 days to appeal the judge's decision to the Unemployment Insurance Appeal Board; after that you must explain why you are late. The Board sends a Notice of Receipt of Appeal with strict time limits for your written statement; you can ask to see the transcript first and get two weeks after it is ready.
5. 5Court. A Board decision can be taken to the Appellate Division of the State Supreme Court, Third Department, by an appeal in writing to the Appeal Board within 30 days of the date the decision was mailed.

While you wait for a hearing or an appeal, keep certifying for every week in which you work 30 hours or less and earn less than the maximum benefit rate, or you can lose those weeks. NYSDOL hearing FAQ For the general guide to appeals in every state, see unemployment appeal.

Free help in New York

Common questions about unemployment in New York

Official sources

1. New York State Department of Labor: What is the Maximum Benefit Rate? ($869 starting October 6, 2025) dol.ny.gov
2. New York State Department of Labor, P832 (2/26): How your weekly unemployment insurance benefit payment is calculated (PDF) dol.ny.gov
3. New York State Department of Labor: Partial Unemployment Eligibility (the hours-based rules) dol.ny.gov
4. New York State Department of Labor: Certify for Weekly Unemployment Insurance Benefits (claim window, waiting week, vacation and holiday pay) dol.ny.gov
5. New York State Department of Labor: The Hearing Process, Frequently Asked Questions (disqualifications, hearings, the Appeal Board, court) dol.ny.gov
6. New York State Department of Labor: The Unemployment Claimant Benefit Process (filing, first payment, 26 weeks) dol.ny.gov
7. New York State Department of Labor: Glossary of Unemployment Terms for Claimants (benefit year, effective days, misconduct, penalties) dol.ny.gov
8. New York State Department of Labor: Request for Reconsideration (wrong wages, the alternate base period) dol.ny.gov
9. New York State Department of Labor: Work Search Frequently Asked Questions dol.ny.gov
10. New York State Department of Labor: Dismissal/Severance Pay and Pensions Frequently Asked Questions dol.ny.gov
11. New York State Department of Labor: Training/599 Program Frequently Asked Questions dol.ny.gov
12. New York State Department of Labor: Unemployment Insurance Contact (phone numbers and hours) dol.ny.gov
13. New York State Department of Labor: Calculators (weekly benefit rate estimator, partial unemployment calculator) dol.ny.gov
14. New York State Department of Labor: Unemployment Insurance Claimant Advocate Office dol.ny.gov
15. New York State Department of Labor: Unemployment Insurance Assistance (payment delay notice, November 2, 2026) dol.ny.gov
16. U.S. Department of Labor: Significant Provisions of State UI Laws, effective July 2026 (PDF) oui.doleta.gov
17. U.S. Department of Labor: Extended Benefits Trigger Notice No. 2026-41, effective October 25, 2026 oui.doleta.gov

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