Provides that the unemployment insurance minimum weekly benefit amount shall be the greater of two hundred fifty dollars or fifteen percent of the state average weekly wage.
STATE OF NEW YORK
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10048
IN ASSEMBLY
January 30, 2026
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Introduced by M. of A. VALDEZ -- read once and referred to the Committee
on Labor
AN ACT to amend the labor law, in relation to increasing the unemploy-
ment insurance minimum weekly benefit amount
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. Paragraph (a) of subdivision 5 of section 590 of the labor
2 law, as amended by section 3 of part KK of chapter 56 of the laws of
3 2025, is amended to read as follows:
4 (a) A claimant's weekly benefit amount shall be one twenty-sixth of
5 the remuneration paid during the highest calendar quarter of the base
6 period by employers, liable for contributions or payments in lieu of
7 contributions under this article, provided the claimant has remuneration
8 paid in all four calendar quarters during such claimant's base period or
9 alternate base period, but shall not be less than the greater of two
10 hundred fifty dollars or fifteen percent of the state average weekly
11 wage. However, for any claimant who has remuneration paid in all four
12 calendar quarters during such claimant's base period or alternate base
13 period and whose high calendar quarter remuneration during the base
14 period is three thousand five hundred seventy-five dollars or less, the
15 benefit amount shall be one twenty-fifth of the remuneration paid during
16 the highest calendar quarter of the base period by employers liable for
17 contributions or payments in lieu of contributions under this article,
18 but shall not be less than the greater of two hundred fifty dollars or
19 fifteen percent of the state average weekly wage. A claimant's weekly
20 benefit shall be one twenty-sixth of the average remuneration paid in
21 the two highest quarters paid during the base period or alternate base
22 period by employers liable for contributions or payments in lieu of
23 contributions under this article when the claimant has remuneration paid
24 in two or three calendar quarters provided however, that a claimant
25 whose high calendar quarter is four thousand dollars or less but greater
26 than three thousand five hundred seventy-five dollars shall have a week-
27 ly benefit amount of one twenty-sixth of such high calendar quarter, but
28 shall not be less than the greater of two hundred fifty dollars or
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD14161-02-6
A. 10048 2
1 fifteen percent of the state average weekly wage. However, for any
2 claimant who has remuneration paid in two or three calendar quarters
3 during such claimant's base period or alternate base period and whose
4 high calendar quarter remuneration during the base period is three thou-
5 sand five hundred seventy-five dollars or less, the benefit amount shall
6 be one twenty-fifth of the remuneration paid during the highest calendar
7 quarter of the base period by employers liable for contributions or
8 payments in lieu of contributions under this article, but shall not be
9 less than the greater of two hundred fifty dollars or fifteen percent of
10 the state average weekly wage. Any claimant whose high calendar quarter
11 remuneration during the base period is more than three thousand five
12 hundred seventy-five dollars shall not have a weekly benefit amount less
13 than [one] the greater of two hundred [forty-three] fifty dollars or
14 fifteen percent of the state average weekly wage. The weekly benefit
15 amount, so computed, that is not a multiple of one dollar shall be
16 lowered to the next multiple of one dollar. On the first Monday of
17 September, nineteen hundred ninety-eight the weekly benefit amount shall
18 not exceed three hundred sixty-five dollars nor be less than forty
19 dollars, until the first Monday of September, two thousand, at which
20 time the maximum benefit payable pursuant to this subdivision shall
21 equal one-half of the state average weekly wage for covered employment
22 as calculated by the department no sooner than July first, two thousand
23 and no later than August first, two thousand, rounded down to the lowest
24 dollar. On and after the first Monday of October, two thousand fourteen,
25 the weekly benefit shall not be less than one hundred dollars, nor shall
26 it exceed four hundred twenty dollars until the first Monday of October,
27 two thousand fifteen when the maximum benefit amount shall be four
28 hundred twenty-five dollars, until the first Monday of October, two
29 thousand sixteen when the maximum benefit amount shall be four hundred
30 thirty dollars, until the first Monday of October, two thousand seven-
31 teen when the maximum benefit amount shall be four hundred thirty-five
32 dollars, until the first Monday of October, two thousand eighteen when
33 the maximum benefit amount shall be four hundred fifty dollars, until
34 the first Monday of October, two thousand nineteen when the maximum
35 benefit amount shall be thirty-six percent of the average weekly wage
36 until the first Monday of October, two thousand twenty-five when the
37 maximum benefit amount shall be eight hundred sixty-nine dollars, until
38 the first Monday of October, two thousand twenty-six and each year ther-
39 eafter on the first Monday of October when the [maximum] benefit amount
40 shall not be less than the greater of two hundred fifty dollars or
41 fifteen percent of the state average weekly wage and shall not exceed
42 fifty percent of the average weekly wage provided, however, that in no
43 event shall the maximum benefit amount be reduced from the previous
44 year.
45 § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
