One thing that might help you understand this better is to look at your paystubs from your retail job - you should see a line item for "unemployment tax" or "UI tax" being deducted. That's how you know those wages are covered. For your 1099 work and Etsy sales, you wouldn't see those deductions because you're considered self-employed for those. The key distinction is whether you're an employee (W-2) or independent contractor/self-employed (1099). When you file your claim, NYS DOL will verify your covered wages through employer reports, so just be honest about all your income sources and let them sort out what counts.

Just want to add that if you had multiple W-2 jobs throughout the year, ALL of those wages will count toward your benefit calculation even if you only worked at some of them for a short time. NYS DOL looks at your "base period" which is usually the first 4 of the last 5 completed calendar quarters before you file. So if you're filing now, they'd look at your wages from early 2024 through late 2024. Make sure you have all your W-2s handy when you file because they'll want to know about every employer you had during that time period.

anyone get their missing money yet? its been 3 days for me and still nothing

This is such a relief to see it resolved! I was about to panic when I saw my payment was cut in half this week too. I'm glad I found this thread before spending all day trying to call. I'll keep an eye on my account over the next few days for the adjustment payment. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences - it's so helpful to know we're not alone in dealing with these system glitches!

Just wanted to add that if you're looking for supplemental benefits, it's worth checking if your former employer participates in any state-specific programs too. New York has some lesser-known workforce development programs that can provide additional support beyond regular UI from NYS Department of Labor. Also, if you worked for a company with multiple locations across states, they might have different supplemental benefit policies depending on where you worked. I'd suggest calling your former employer's benefits department directly and asking specifically about "supplemental unemployment benefits" or "SUB plans" - use those exact terms because HR will know what you mean.

This is super helpful info! I had no idea there were so many different types of supplemental programs. I've been getting my regular NYS Department of Labor benefits but never thought to check with my old employer about their own programs. My company was pretty big so they might have had something like this. Does anyone know if there's a time limit on applying for employer-funded supplemental benefits? Like, if I've already been collecting regular UI for 6 weeks, is it too late to apply for company supplements?

Just wait it out, the system will update eventually. I wouldn't stress too much about the exact amount until your claim is approved anyway.

Hey Marilyn! I went through this same confusion when I filed my claim a few months ago. The calculation Louisa mentioned is correct, but just to add some context - if you were making $18/hour and worked full-time for those 8 months, your benefit amount will likely be somewhere between $200-300 per week depending on your exact earnings pattern. The "pending" status is normal and should update within 1-2 weeks once they verify your employment history with your restaurant. In the meantime, you can try logging into your NY.gov account periodically to check for updates. The waiting is definitely stressful when you're trying to budget, but hang in there!

One thing to watch out for - make sure you're classifying workers correctly as employees vs contractors. I got audited by NYS Department of Labor because they thought I was misclassifying people to avoid paying unemployment taxes. Cost me way more in penalties than I would have paid in the first place. When in doubt, classify them as employees.

@Sean Kelly - definitely get familiar with the NYS Department of Labor's online portal early. You'll need to file form NYS-45 quarterly even if you have zero employees that quarter (just file zeros). Also worth noting that if you're seasonal or have irregular staffing, you can request to pay estimated taxes monthly instead of getting hit with a big quarterly bill. The DOL is pretty accommodating if you communicate with them proactively rather than waiting until you're behind on payments.