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The NYS Department of Labor system is so broken honestly. They make it impossible to qualify and then impossible to get help when you need it. I've been fighting them for months over a stupid technicality.
Wait did you quit or get laid off? You said both in your post. If you quit voluntarily you definitely won't qualify unless it was for good cause like unsafe working conditions or harassment.
omg yes the definitions are SO confusing! like what even is the difference between being laid off vs fired vs quitting?? they act like its obvious but its not
Laid off means your employer eliminated your position due to business reasons (you qualify). Fired for misconduct means you did something wrong (usually disqualifies you). Quitting means you chose to leave (usually disqualifies unless you had good cause). The distinction matters because it determines if you qualify for benefits.
The federal Department of Labor actually sets a lot of these standards that states like New York have to follow. It's not just NYS Department of Labor being difficult - they have to comply with federal guidelines about who can receive unemployment insurance. The whole system is designed around the principle that UI is temporary assistance for people between jobs, not long-term support for people who can't or don't want to work.
I think unemployment is around 4% statewide but honestly who knows with all the different ways they count it. The important thing is you qualify if you lost your job through no fault of your own.
When I was trying to get through to NYS Department of Labor to ask about my benefit calculation, I couldn't reach anyone for weeks. The phone lines are always busy and the online chat never worked. I ended up using this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that actually got me connected to an agent. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI showing how it works. Saved me so much frustration since I needed to verify my wages were calculated correctly.
Aisha Rahman
The whole system is a joke honestly. They talk about low unemployment like it's great news but then make it impossible to get help when you actually need it. Been dealing with NYS Department of Labor for months and getting nowhere.
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Ethan Wilson
Same boat here! Filed in December and still waiting. At least we're not alone in this mess.
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