Here's the thing. In NYS, to get the maximum benefit ($405 per wk), you have to earn $10,460 in a quarter, or 13 week period, it doesn't matter where this money comes from, one job, two jobs, or from a severance lump sum payment at the end, plus vacation, plus PTO time and whatever else (separation agreements, etc). This might be the case in your state.
If you make less than $42,000 per year ($10, 460 x 4 quarters = $41,8??.??) then you are better off waiting for the last checks to come in before you file and claim after all of that money has attached itself to your social security number for that last quarter. The closer you get to $10,460 in a given quarter, then the larger your weekly benefit.
It works out to about the same amount if you have children in daycare and a reasonable cost to commute. Take travel and daycare costs out of your working income and compare it to stay-at-home care and no commute, and your weekly unemployment income hasn't changed much from the $42,000 salary range. In areas other than NYC, bills can be met fairly easily using this formula. Plus, the hassle and aggravation of working with people that you wouldn't otherwise associate with has been effectively removed for at least a few months. Isn't that nice to think about.
If for whatever reason you make much more, well, then maybe you should have planned and saved better for such an emergency.
