Same boat here! Got laid off last month and just started my claim. The online system is pretty straightforward once you figure it out.

@Sophia Bennett - You should be fine with 8 months of work plus your previous jobs! Just make sure you have all your employment history ready when you file. The NYS system will calculate your base period wages automatically across all your jobs. One tip: file your claim as soon as possible since there's a waiting week before benefits start, and you can't get paid for any weeks you don't file. Also, if you worked in other states before New York, you might need to file a combined wage claim to include those earnings. The sooner you start the process, the sooner you'll know exactly what your weekly benefit amount will be.

hang in there! mine took 6 weeks but eventually got approved and they paid me for all the back weeks

I'm going through the exact same thing right now - filed in early February after my retail job ended and it's been "pending adjudication" for almost 4 weeks. The uncertainty is killing me because I have no idea if there's an actual issue or if it's just taking forever. I've tried calling so many times that I've memorized the automated message. At least it helps to know other people are dealing with this too and that there's still hope it'll get resolved eventually.

anyone else feel like they're playing unemployment roulette? never know if you'll get a helpful rep or someone who just makes everything more confusing 🎰

Just went through this last month! @Miguel here's what helped me get through it smoothly: - Call first thing at 8 AM when they open (way shorter wait times) - Have your W-2s, pay stubs, and employer contact info ready - Write down the rep's name and any reference numbers they give you - The actual interview part only took about 15-20 minutes once I got through They mostly just verify your employment history and ask why you're unemployed. Super straightforward if you have your paperwork organized. You got this! 💪

This is really helpful info! I'm in a similar situation - just started collecting last month and had no idea about the tax implications. Quick question: if I set up withholding now, does it only apply to future payments or can they somehow withhold extra to cover what I've already received without withholding? I'm worried about owing a chunk at tax time like @Amara mentioned.

Just a heads up for everyone dealing with the phone wait times - I found that calling the Tel-Service line right when they open at 8am tends to have shorter hold times. Also, if you're tech-savvy, the my.ny.gov portal is usually your best bet for making changes to tax withholding since it's available 24/7. I set mine up online in about 5 minutes once I figured out where to navigate. One more tip: keep screenshots of your withholding elections in case there are any discrepancies later - I learned this the hard way when there was a glitch and my withholding didn't take effect for two weeks.

same boat here!! got laid off from my restaurant job and hoping unemployment covers at least my rent. this whole thing is so stressful

Just went through this process myself! At $65k annually, you're looking at roughly $1,250 per week before taxes. In NY, you'll likely hit the maximum weekly benefit of $504 since the formula caps out around that level for higher earners. The good news is that overtime definitely counts - they look at ALL wages reported during your base period. One tip: file your claim online at ny.gov as soon as possible since there's a one-week waiting period before payments begin. Also keep detailed records of your job search activities since NY requires you to document your work search efforts. The process can be overwhelming but the benefits do help bridge the gap while you're looking for your next opportunity!