How Much Unemployment Pays in New York
How New York calculates weekly unemployment benefits, the current minimum and maximum, and how many weeks you can collect.
Short answer: If you were paid in all four base period quarters, your weekly benefit rate is your high-quarter wages divided by 26 (divided by 25 if the high quarter was $3,575 or less); NYS DOL, What is the Maximum Benefit Rate?; How Your Weekly UI Benefit Payment Is Calculated (P832, 2/26)
| Weekly benefit amount | If you were paid in all four base period quarters, your weekly benefit rate is your high-quarter wages divided by 26 (divided by 25 if the high quarter was $3,575 or less); if you were paid in only two or three quarters and your high quarter exceeded $4,000, it is the average of your two highest quarters divided by 26. The maximum benefit rate is $869 per week, effective October 6, 2025 (the first Monday of October 2025). The minimum benefit rate is $140 as of January 2026. Under Labor Law § 590(5), the maximum is set at 50% of the state average weekly wage starting in October 2026 and each year after; the Department's maximum benefit rate page still showed $869 when checked. |
|---|---|
| How many weeks | Up to 26 weeks of benefits; total benefits cannot exceed 26 times your weekly benefit rate in a benefit year. |
| Waiting week | Yes. New claims filed on and after June 28, 2021 include an unpaid waiting week: you are not paid for the first full week of your claim but must still claim weekly benefits and meet eligibility requirements. |
Where to get help in New York
More New York unemployment benefits
- Logging In to Your New York Unemployment Claim
- Unemployment for Self-Employed and Gig Workers in New York
- Unemployment After Being Fired in New York
- Unemployment After Quitting in New York
- How to File for Unemployment in New York
- All New York unemployment benefits rules
FAQ
How much is unemployment in New York?
If you were paid in all four base period quarters, your weekly benefit rate is your high-quarter wages divided by 26 (divided by 25 if the high quarter was $3,575 or less); if you were paid in only two or three quarters and your high quarter exceeded $4,000, it is the average of your two highest quarters divided by 26. The maximum benefit rate is $869 per week, effective October 6, 2025 (the first Monday of October 2025). The minimum benefit rate is $140 as of January 2026.
How long can you get unemployment in New York?
Up to 26 weeks of benefits; total benefits cannot exceed 26 times your weekly benefit rate in a benefit year.
Is there a waiting week for unemployment in New York?
Yes. New claims filed on and after June 28, 2021 include an unpaid waiting week: you are not paid for the first full week of your claim but must still claim weekly benefits and meet eligibility requirements.
General legal information, not legal advice. Laws change and local rules can differ; check the linked official source or talk to a lawyer about your situation.