I remember when I first filed, I was shocked at how much paperwork there was. But yeah definitely worth it. Even if you only get like $250 a week, that's still $1000 a month to help with rent and stuff. Plus you have to do the job search requirements but honestly that just helps you stay motivated to find something better anyway.

Based on your income ($18/hour, 32-35 hours/week), you'd likely qualify for a decent amount. I was making similar wages and got around $320/week when I filed last year. The key thing is they look at your earnings over the past 18 months, not just your current reduced hours. And yes, you can definitely file for partial benefits if you're still working reduced hours - you don't have to be completely unemployed. The application process is pretty straightforward online, just have your employment history and wage info ready. Don't let the paperwork intimidate you, it's worth it!

FYI if this is a regular thing (like if ur hours get cut regularly) you might qualify for something called Shared Work where both you and your employer apply for partial unemployment. Way more stable than regular partial UI but ur employer has to be on board.

Hey Omar! I've been through this exact situation before. You can definitely file for partial unemployment for reduced hours - I did it when my restaurant cut my shifts from 5 days to 2 during a slow period. The key things to remember: NY counts ANY work on a day as a full day worked (so your 2 days = 50% of your weekly benefit), and you need to earn less than $504 that week to qualify. When you certify, just report exactly what you worked and earned - don't try to fudge the numbers because they'll catch it later. The process is pretty straightforward through labor.ny.gov, just make sure you have your exact earnings from those 2 days when you file. Good luck!

I've been getting my NYS unemployment deposits for about 6 months now and can confirm what others are saying - it's pretty reliable timing. My deposits always hit the KeyBank card between 3-6 AM on Wednesday morning. The key thing is making sure your weekly certification is completed by Monday night, then it processes Tuesday and you'll have the money Wednesday morning. If you're cutting it close for rent, I'd say you can safely count on having access to the funds by 7 AM Wednesday at the latest.

I've been on NYS unemployment for about 4 months and can confirm the timing everyone's sharing. One thing I learned the hard way - if you're ever worried about whether your deposit went through, you can also call the KeyBank customer service number on the back of your card (it's 24/7) and they can tell you if there's a pending deposit even before it shows as available. This saved me a lot of anxiety during my first few weeks when I wasn't sure about the timing yet. The deposits really are consistent though - Tuesday paid status almost always means Wednesday morning money between 3-6 AM.

Being laid off is way easier than other situations for unemployment. I got laid off from my restaurant job last year and had no issues at all - claim was approved in like 10 days. Just make sure you have your last pay stub and any layoff notice from your employer when you file.

One thing I'd add is to file your claim online as soon as possible after your last day of work - don't wait! The NYS Department of Labor website (labor.ny.gov) lets you file 24/7 and it's much faster than trying to call. Also, if your company is doing a mass layoff (50+ people), they might have already filed a WARN notice with the state which can actually speed up processing since DOL already knows about the layoffs. Make sure to keep all your paperwork from your employer about the layoff - having that documentation ready will help if they need any clarification during the review process.

Just went through this exact same nightmare last week! The EIN is definitely 14-6013200 like everyone said. What saved me was actually going to the NY unemployment website and looking under "tax documents" - they have a FAQ section that mentions this number but it's buried like 5 pages deep. So frustrating that they make it this hard to find basic info we need for taxes! Also if you're still having trouble downloading forms from their site, try using a different browser or clearing your cookies. Their website is super glitchy. Don't stress too much about the deadline - you've got the right info now and you'll get it sorted! 👍

I completely understand your frustration! I went through this exact same issue a couple years ago and it was so stressful. The EIN you need is 14-6013200 - that's the official number for NY State Department of Labor. Everyone here already confirmed it's correct but I wanted to add that you can actually verify this yourself by looking at the very bottom of your NY.gov unemployment account page (if you can get it to load properly lol). They have it listed in tiny print in the footer section under "employer information" but it's super easy to miss. Also don't beat yourself up about not finding it - they really do make this way harder than it needs to be. You're definitely not the first person to spend hours looking for this number! Hope this helps and you get your taxes sorted out soon! 🤞