New York Unemployment Calculator
As of October 19, 2026, regular New York unemployment pays $140 to $869 a week for up to 26 weeks. Enter your wages for the four quarters of your base period to estimate your weekly benefit, your maximum total benefit and which rule capped it.
Maintained by Archie Chang · Formulas and sources checked October 19, 2026 · Methodology & sources
Weekly benefit range (October 19, 2026)
$140 to $869
Effective October 6, 2025
Maximum weeks
26
Regular state benefits only
State income tax on benefits
Taxable
Federal income tax applies in every state
New York unemployment benefit calculator
Which months are my four quarters?
The standard base period is the first four of the last five completed calendar quarters before you file. The quarter you file in, and the one just before it, are left out. Enter the quarters in order, oldest first. Each quarter is three calendar months: January to March, April to June, July to September, October to December.
| If you file in | Your base period is |
|---|---|
| January to March 2026 | October 2024 to September 2025 |
| April to June 2026 | January to December 2025 |
| July to September 2026 | April 2025 to March 2026 |
| October to December 2026 | July 2025 to June 2026 |
Use gross wages (before taxes) from every covered job, in the quarter they were earned. If your wages are too low under this period, many states test an alternate base period made of the last four completed quarters.
Enter your wages above to see your New York estimate.
The state also runs its own estimator: NYS DOL benefit rate calculator.
How much does unemployment pay in New York?
With wages in all four base period quarters, the weekly benefit rate is your high quarter divided by 26 when the high quarter is above $3,575, with a $143 floor. At $3,575 or less it is the high quarter divided by 25.
With wages in only two or three quarters and a high quarter above $4,000, it is the average of your two highest quarters divided by 26. From $3,576 to $4,000 it is the high quarter divided by 26.
The maximum is $869 a week (since the first Monday of October 2025) and the minimum is $140 as of January 2026. The calculator rounds down to the dollar.
New York uses the basic base period when it qualifies you and does not automatically test the alternate base period for a higher rate. You can ask the Department to recalculate with the alternate base period, but those wages cannot be used again on a later claim.
New York unemployment eligibility: the wage tests
These are the monetary tests only. New York also decides whether you lost your job through no fault of your own and whether you are able and available to work.
- Wages in at least two base period quarters,
- at least $3,500 in one quarter for claims filed in 2026, and
- total base period wages of at least 1.5 times the high quarter, or, if the high quarter is $19,118 or more, at least $9,559 in the other three quarters instead.
Maximum weeks and maximum benefit amount
New York pays up to 26 times the weekly benefit rate in a benefit year, which is 26 weeks.
Working part time while collecting
New York uses hours, not earnings. Up to 10 hours in a week: no reduction. 11 to 16 hours: 75 percent of the rate. 17 to 21 hours: 50 percent. 22 to 30 hours: 25 percent. More than 30 hours pays nothing, and so does gross pay above the maximum benefit rate. Self-employment earnings are excluded from the pay test.
Are New York unemployment benefits taxable?
Unemployment benefits are taxable income on your federal return in every state. Unemployment benefits are taxable on your federal return and are included in New York income. The Department of Labor mails a Form 1099-G each January.
How to apply in New York
File online with NYS DOL. You certify every week and report hours and earnings.
New York State Department of Labor: Unemployment Insurance
When this changes: Recheck each October: the statute indexes the maximum to the state average weekly wage after the October 2025 reset. Maximum indexed to the state average weekly wage after the October 2025 reset; recheck each October.
Frequently asked questions
How much does unemployment pay in New York?
Regular New York unemployment pays between $140 and $869 a week as of October 19, 2026. Your amount depends on the wages you were paid in your base period. With wages in all four base period quarters, the weekly benefit rate is your high quarter divided by 26 when the high quarter is above $3,575, with a $143 floor. At $3,575 or less it is the high quarter divided by 25.
How is the New York weekly benefit amount calculated?
With wages in all four base period quarters, the weekly benefit rate is your high quarter divided by 26 when the high quarter is above $3,575, with a $143 floor. At $3,575 or less it is the high quarter divided by 25. With wages in only two or three quarters and a high quarter above $4,000, it is the average of your two highest quarters divided by 26. From $3,576 to $4,000 it is the high quarter divided by 26. The maximum is $869 a week (since the first Monday of October 2025) and the minimum is $140 as of January 2026. The calculator rounds down to the dollar.
How long can I collect unemployment in New York?
New York pays up to 26 times the weekly benefit rate in a benefit year, which is 26 weeks.
Are unemployment benefits taxable in New York?
Unemployment benefits are taxable on your federal return and are included in New York income. The Department of Labor mails a Form 1099-G each January.
Can I work part time and still get New York unemployment?
New York uses hours, not earnings. Up to 10 hours in a week: no reduction. 11 to 16 hours: 75 percent of the rate. 17 to 21 hours: 50 percent. 22 to 30 hours: 25 percent. More than 30 hours pays nothing, and so does gross pay above the maximum benefit rate. Self-employment earnings are excluded from the pay test.
Did the New York maximum change in 2025?
Yes. The maximum weekly benefit rate rose from $504 to $869, and payments at the new maximum started the week of October 13, 2025. Labor Law 590 ties later maximums to the state average weekly wage, so New York may publish a new figure each October.
Sources for New York
- NYS DOL: How your weekly benefit payment is calculated (P832, February 2026)Formula, thresholds, $143 floor, $869 and $140
- NYS DOL: What is the maximum benefit rate?$869 maximum
- NYS DOL: Partial unemployment eligibilityHours-based partial rule
- NYS DOL: 1099-G tax formTax reporting
- New York Labor Law 590 (NY Senate)Rounding down to the dollar, 26 times the rate, indexing
- U.S. DOL, Significant Provisions of State UI Laws (July 2026)Cross-check of minimum, maximum, weeks and the partial-benefit disregard
Sources checked October 19, 2026.
Verification note: The NYS DOL claimant handbook and the NY Senate statute page blocked automated requests, so the rounding rule and the October indexing come from an excerpt of Labor Law 590 rather than a page we could open. The fact sheet and the other DOL pages above were read directly.