Enter your savings, expenses, severance, and unemployment benefits. Get your exact runway in months, and a plan if the number is smaller than you hoped.
Most people have never actually run this math. They have a vague sense that they have "some savings" and that they would "figure it out." This calculator makes you confront the real number. Enter what you have, what you owe each month, what severance you might get, and what unemployment might pay. Get your runway in months. Then decide whether that number makes you feel okay or whether it is time to build a bigger cushion while you still have a paycheck coming in.
Last verified: April 2026. Unemployment benefit figures based on current NYC/NY state maximums. Verify current rates at dol.ny.gov.
Enter your numbers on the leftto see your runway
The standard advice is 3 to 6 months of essential expenses. If you are a freelancer, single-income household, or work in a volatile industry like tech or finance, lean toward 6 months minimum. In expensive cities like New York where monthly expenses can easily hit $4,000 to $6,000, that means keeping $24,000 to $36,000 liquid. Most people find that number uncomfortable, which is exactly why most people are not prepared for a layoff.
In New York, unemployment benefits are calculated at roughly 50% of your average weekly wage, up to a maximum of around $504 per week as of 2024. You can receive benefits for up to 26 weeks. You must actively be searching for work and reporting your job search activities. File immediately after being laid off because there is a one-week waiting period before benefits start and delays in filing cost you money you are entitled to.
COBRA lets you continue your employer-sponsored health insurance after a layoff. The catch is that you now pay the full premium including the portion your employer was covering, plus a 2% administrative fee. For a single person this typically runs $400 to $700 per month. For a family, it can exceed $2,000. This is one of the biggest and most underestimated costs of being unemployed, and it is why health insurance is the first thing to plan for in a layoff scenario.
In the first week: cancel every non-essential subscription, pause gym memberships, cut dining out entirely, and switch to the cheapest phone plan. In the first month: negotiate rent with your landlord (many will work with you), contact lenders about hardship forbearance on loans, and apply for SNAP benefits if eligible. The lean budget scenario in this calculator cuts discretionary spending by 40% as a starting point. Cutting more is possible but gets harder to sustain over a long job search.
The average job search in the US takes 3 to 6 months. In competitive fields like tech, finance, and law in major cities, it can take 4 to 8 months for senior roles. Entry and mid-level roles in high-demand fields tend to move faster. The best predictor of a shorter search is having a strong network you have actively maintained before the layoff. Cold applications alone have roughly a 2% callback rate. Referrals are dramatically more effective.
Your emergency fund should be in a high-yield savings account, not the market. The entire point of an emergency fund is that it is available immediately and does not drop in value right when you need it most. Markets tend to fall during economic downturns, which is also when layoffs tend to happen. The last thing you want is to be forced to sell investments at a 30% loss because you need rent money. Keep your emergency fund boring and liquid. Invest everything above it.