I went through something similar last year when I moved to North Carolina for a semester program while claiming NY unemployment. Here's what I learned from actually talking to a rep: 1. You CAN claim while temporarily out of state for education as long as NY remains your permanent residence 2. You must still be actively searching for work in NY and be willing to return for interviews 3. The key is being honest about your situation - don't try to hide where you are 4. Your school schedule matters more than your location - they need to know you're available for full-time work if offered 5. Keep detailed records of your job search activities in NY I had to do a phone interview about 6 weeks into my program where they asked about my availability and school schedule. Since I was only taking 3 classes and could accept work, they approved my continued benefits. The hardest part was getting through to someone initially - took me weeks of calling. I'd recommend trying that Claimyr service others mentioned since the phone system is basically impossible to navigate otherwise. Whatever you do, don't guess or assume - get it officially documented in your file. The penalties for misrepresenting your situation are severe, but if you're honest and follow the rules, you should be fine.

I'm actually dealing with a similar situation right now! I'm on NY unemployment and just got accepted to a graduate program in New Jersey. From what I've researched and heard from others, it seems like the main things they care about are: 1) maintaining NY as your permanent residence, 2) being available for work if offered a job, and 3) continuing to actively search for work in NY. The location tracking through IP addresses is definitely something to be aware of - I've seen mixed advice on whether you need to notify them about temporary moves for school. I'm planning to use that Claimyr service everyone's mentioning to get through to an actual rep and get this documented properly in my file. Better to be safe than sorry with something this important! Has anyone here actually gotten written confirmation from NY DOL about attending school out of state?

The whole system is ridiculous. They make you jump through hoops while companies aren't even hiring! I've applied to 200+ jobs and gotten maybe 5 interviews. Meanwhile they threaten to cut off benefits if you don't document every single contact perfectly.

@Alexis Renard - Standby status has to be officially designated by NYS DOL when you file your claim. If your employer told you that you "might" be called back but didn't give you a specific recall date, you're likely not on official standby status. After 6 weeks with no concrete recall date, you should definitely be actively job searching. I'd recommend calling DOL to clarify your status - if you can't get through on the phone, you might need to visit a career center in person to get this sorted out before you risk any issues with your benefits.

definitely file asap because even if they deny you initially you can appeal and the whole time youre appealing you should keep filing your weekly claims

I went through something similar about 6 months ago - got fired for what they called "attendance issues" but it was really due to my mom's medical appointments that I had to help with. The NYS Department of Labor actually sided with me during adjudication because I had emails showing I tried to work with my supervisor on the scheduling. The key thing is to file your claim right away like others said, and when they do the fact-finding interview, be honest about the childcare situation and any communication you had with your employer about it. Also keep filing those weekly claims even if your case is under review - you don't want to miss out on benefits for weeks you should have been eligible for. The whole process took about 4 weeks for me but I ended up getting approved and they paid me retroactively for the waiting period.

Just to add - the numbers also fluctuate seasonally. Construction workers, hospitality, retail all have different patterns throughout the year which affects the total claimant count.

The seasonal aspect is really important to consider. I'm in hospitality myself and noticed that claim numbers tend to spike after the holiday season and during slower tourist periods. From what I've observed, NYC alone probably accounts for a huge chunk of those statewide numbers given how many service industry workers cycle through unemployment benefits during off-seasons. The system definitely feels more strained during these peak periods.

Don't forget you also need to post the required unemployment insurance notices in your workplace and keep payroll records for at least 4 years. NYS Department of Labor can audit you and they want to see everything documented properly.

As someone who went through this process recently, I'd recommend starting the registration process early even before you hire anyone. The NYS Department of Labor employer account setup can take a few weeks to get fully activated. Also, don't forget that you'll need to obtain a state employer identification number if you don't already have one. The Business Services Online portal that Emma mentioned is definitely the way to go - it's much easier than trying to do everything by mail or phone. One tip: keep detailed records from day one because when you file those quarterly reports, you'll need exact wage information for each employee.