I'm in a similar boat with my part-time teaching assistant position - some weeks I get called in for extra hours, other weeks barely anything. One thing I've learned is to always screenshot your online certification confirmation after you submit it each week. I had a situation where the system glitched and showed I hadn't certified for a week when I actually had, and having that screenshot saved me a lot of headache when I had to prove it later. Also, if you're ever unsure about whether you should claim for a particular week, err on the side of reporting it - it's much easier to explain why you claimed when you maybe shouldn't have than to try to get benefits reinstated for a week you didn't claim but were eligible for.

This is such helpful information! I'm dealing with a very similar situation working at a local bookstore where my hours are all over the place depending on events and seasonal rushes. Some weeks I'm barely getting 12 hours, other weeks they have me working 35+ during big sales. It's reassuring to know that the NY system is actually designed to handle these fluctuations and I don't need to worry about looking suspicious when I go back and forth between claiming and not claiming. I was always stressed about whether there would be some kind of flag on my account, but it sounds like this is exactly what partial unemployment benefits are for. Really appreciate everyone sharing their experiences!

Just to clarify - when people say 'unemployment NYC' they're usually just referring to filing for unemployment benefits while living in NYC. It's still the same NYS Department of Labor system. The benefit amount and rules are the same statewide, though job search requirements might vary slightly by region.

Hey @Niko, one more tip - when you file your claim tonight, make sure you have your last employer's exact business name and address handy. The system is pretty picky about matching the info exactly as it appears on your W-2 or pay stubs. Also, if you worked multiple jobs in the past 18 months, you'll need info for all of them. Good luck with your claim!

The whole system is so confusing!! Why don't they explain this stuff better when you first apply? I've been terrified to take any work because I thought I'd lose everything.

Just want to add my experience - I was in a similar situation and decided to keep filing while working part-time. Best decision I made! The partial benefits really helped bridge the gap until my hours increased. The key is being completely honest about your earnings on the weekly certification. NYS Department of Labor has gotten pretty good at cross-checking with employers, so don't try to hide income. Also, if your part-time job does become full-time and you're earning over your benefit amount, your claim will just go dormant and you can reactivate it later if needed without losing your remaining benefit weeks.

To clarify the job search requirements since there seems to be some confusion - it's 3 work search activities per week, not necessarily 3 job applications. This can include networking, attending job fairs, skills training, etc. You do need to keep records including employer name, date, method of contact, and position applied for. Regarding suitable work, in the first 10 weeks you can generally refuse work paying less than 80% of your previous wage, after that the standards become more flexible.

honestly the whole thing is a nightmare. took me 6 weeks just to get my first payment and that was with zero issues on my claim. good luck OP

Yeah my cousin works at one of the NYS Department of Labor offices and she says they're constantly backlogged. Even when unemployment rates look good on paper there's still tons of people cycling through the system - seasonal workers, people between jobs, folks dealing with reduced hours. The numbers you see publicly are just a snapshot.

If you want more detailed breakdowns, the NYS Department of Labor also publishes their Unemployment Insurance Trust Fund reports quarterly which show total benefit payments and recipient counts by region. You can find these buried in their "Data & Statistics" section. The winter months typically see the highest claims due to construction and hospitality layoffs. What's frustrating is they don't publish real-time adjudication queue numbers, so there's no way to know if you're number 100 or 10,000 in line for review.