New York Unemployment Calculator
Enter your wages for the four quarters of your base period to estimate your New York weekly unemployment benefit, the most you could collect, and what a week of part-time work does to it. The figures follow NYSDOL's published formula, checked November 6, 2026.
New York unemployment at a glance
- Maximum a week
- $869
- Minimum a week
- $140
- Weeks
- Up to 26
- Waiting week
- Yes, unpaid
Example: $6,500 in each base-period quarter ($26,000 a year) gives an estimated $250 a week and up to $6,500.00 for the benefit year. Sources: New York State Department of Labor and the other official sources listed below, checked November 6, 2026.
Enter gross wages for each of the four quarters in your base period, usually the first four of the last five completed calendar quarters before you file.
- Weekly benefit
- $269
- Most for the benefit year
- $6,994.00
- Base-period wages
- $26,000.00
- Weekly range in NY
- $140–$869
- Highest quarter $7,000 ÷ 26 = $2.69, rounded down: $269.
26 × $269.
New York counts part-time work by hours, not dollars: 0–10 hours in a week pays your full benefit, 11–16 hours pays 75%, 17–21 hours pays 50%, 22–30 hours pays 25%, and more than 30 hours pays nothing. Gross pay above the weekly earnings limit also stops that week's benefit.
This is an estimate for information only, not legal or benefits advice. The New York State Department of Labor decides whether you are eligible and how much you receive, based on the wages your employers reported and the reason you left work.
How New York works out your weekly benefit
Your weekly benefit is your highest base-period quarter's wages divided by 26 (or by 25 if that quarter was $3,575 or less), rounded down, with a $143 floor above that line, from $140 up to $869 a week.
For claims filed in 2026 you need wages in at least two quarters, at least $3,500 in one quarter, and total base-period wages of at least 1.5 times your highest quarter (if that quarter was $19,118 or more, at least $9,559 in the other three).
New York raised its maximum to $869 on October 6, 2025, the first change since 2019. State law (Labor Law section 590) ties later maximums to 50% of the state average weekly wage from the first Monday of October 2026, unless the trust fund test suspends the increase. When we checked, the Department of Labor still listed $869 as the maximum, so that is what this calculator uses.
New York weekly unemployment by quarterly pay
| Pay per quarter | Per year | Weekly benefit | Most for the year |
|---|---|---|---|
| $2,000 | $8,000 | Below minimum | $0.00 |
| $3,000 | $12,000 | Below minimum | $0.00 |
| $4,000 | $16,000 | $153 | $3,978.00 |
| $5,000 | $20,000 | $192 | $4,992.00 |
| $6,500 | $26,000 | $250 | $6,500.00 |
| $8,000 | $32,000 | $307 | $7,982.00 |
| $10,000 | $40,000 | $384 | $9,984.00 |
| $12,500 | $50,000 | $480 | $12,480.00 |
| $15,000 | $60,000 | $576 | $14,976.00 |
Same pay in all four quarters, claim filed now. With equal quarters you reach the $869 maximum at about $22,594 a quarter. This is an estimate for information only; the NYSDOL decides your actual amount.
Weeks, waiting week and part-time work
- How long benefits last
- Up to 26 times your weekly benefit rate in a benefit year.
- Waiting week
- The first week of unemployment after you file is an unpaid waiting week.
- Part-time earnings
- New York counts part-time work by hours, not dollars: 0–10 hours in a week pays your full benefit, 11–16 hours pays 75%, 17–21 hours pays 50%, 22–30 hours pays 25%, and more than 30 hours pays nothing. Gross pay above the weekly earnings limit also stops that week's benefit.
Frequently asked questions
Sources
- NYSDOL — How your weekly UI benefit payment is calculated (P832, 2/26)HQ over $3,575: HQ ÷ 26 with a $143 floor; HQ $3,575 or less: HQ ÷ 25; with wages in only two or three quarters and HQ over $4,000, the average of the two highest quarters ÷ 26; minimum $140 as of January 2026; maximum $869 from October 2025; 2026 claims need $3,500 in one quarter and 1.5 × HQ in total.
- NYSDOL — What is the Maximum Benefit Rate?The maximum benefit rate is $869 per week, starting October 6, 2025.
- NYSDOL — Employer's guide to UI benefits (IA 318.2)A claimant may collect up to 26 times their weekly benefit rate; the first week after filing is an unpaid waiting week.
- New York Labor Law section 590 (Rights to benefits)A rate that is not a whole dollar is lowered to the next dollar; one waiting week; from the first Monday of October 2026 the maximum is 50% of the state average weekly wage unless suspended by the fund test.
- NYSDOL — Partial Unemployment EligibilityBenefit reduced by hours worked: 0–10 hours no reduction, 11–16 hours 25%, 17–21 hours 50%, 22–30 hours 75%, over 30 hours 100%.
Checked November 6, 2026.
This is an estimate for information only, not legal or benefits advice. The New York State Department of Labor decides whether you qualify and the amount you receive.