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EARNINGS REQUIRED TO QUALIFY FOR BENEFITS To qualify for benefits, you must meet all three of the following earnings requirements during your base period (basic or alternate): • You must have worked and been paid wages in jobs covered by Unemployment Insurance in at least two calendar quarters • For claims filed in 2026, you must have been paid at least $3,500 in one calendar quarter (this amount increased from $3,400 for claims filed in 2025) • The total wages paid to you must be at least 1.5 times the amount paid to you in your high quarter. Your high quarter is the quarter of your base period in which you were paid the most money. Exception: If your high quarter wages were $19,118 or more, you must have been paid a combined total of at least $9,559 in the other three quarters of your base period. To be eligible for benefits, you must also have lost work through no fault of your own; be ready, willing, and able to work; and be actively looking for work. HOW WE CALCULATE YOUR WEEKLY BENEFIT RATE If you were paid wages in all four quarters of your base period and your high quarter wages are: • More than $3,575: Your benefit amount is your high quarter wages divided by 26. If this calculation is less than $143, your benefit rate is $143 • $3,575 or less: Your benefit amount is your high quarter wages divided by 25 If you were paid wages in only two or three quarters of your base period and your high quarter wages are: • More than $4,000: Your benefit amount is the average wages of your two highest quarter wages, divided by 26. If this calculation is less than $143, your benefit amount is $143. For example, your high quarter wages are $4,500 and your next highest quarter wages are $4,288, an average of $4,394 ($4,500 + $4,288 = $8,788; $8,788 ÷ 2 = $4,394). Your benefit amount is $169 ($4,394 ÷ 26 = $169) • $3,576 to $4,000: Your benefit amount is your high quarter wages divided by 26. If this calculation results in less than $143, your benefit amount is $143 • $3,575 or less: Your benefit amount is your high quarter wages divided by 25 There are maximum and minimum benefit rates. Effective the first Monday of October 2025 the maximum benefit rate increased to $869. The minimum benefit rate is $140 as of January 2026. For more information and more examples of the information contained in this fact sheet, please see the claimant handbook at dol.ny.gov/unemployment- insurance-claimant-handbook. ESTIMATE YOUR WEEKLY BENEFIT RATE You can estimate your weekly benefit rate by using the online calculator located at ux.labor.ny.gov/benefit-rate-calculator. NOTE: The calculator gives an estimate only. It does not guarantee that you will be eligible for benefits or a specific amount of benefits. You must file an Unemployment Insurance claim to find out of you are eligible and learn your actual benefit amount. P832 (2/26) The New York State Department of Labor is an Equal Opportunity Employer/Program. Auxiliary aides and services are available upon request and free of charge to individuals with disabilities TTY/TDD 711 or 1-800-662-1220 (English) / 1-877-662-4886. The Unemployment Insurance Program is funded by a federal grant of $172,710,563 which constitutes 100% of its budget. 0%, or $0 is funded by state or non-governmental sources.