Hey Diego! I went through this exact same confusion when I got laid off from my marketing job last year. The "5 quarters" thing is super misleading - they actually only use 4 quarters to calculate your benefits, but they look at a 5-quarter window to pick which 4 to use. What really helped me was calling and asking them to walk through my specific situation. Since you mentioned you were in school for some of those quarters, definitely make sure they know you were working during that time. I had a similar issue where they initially flagged some quarters because I was taking night classes, but once I explained I was working full-time during the day, it was fine. Your summer internship should definitely count if it was W2 employment and falls within the base period quarters they're looking at. That could actually help boost your weekly benefit amount significantly if it was good pay. One tip - when you get your monetary determination letter, go through it line by line. Mine had missing wages from a previous employer that I had to get corrected. Made a big difference in my final benefit amount!

Just went through this same process a few months ago after getting laid off from a fintech startup! The whole "5 quarters" thing threw me off too initially. What everyone's saying is correct - they look at a 5-quarter window but only use the first 4 of those quarters (skipping the most recent one). Since you mentioned starting work in September 2022 after graduating, you should have enough quarters of work history by now. Your summer internship will definitely count if it was W2 employment and falls within those base period quarters they're considering. One thing I'd add - if you had any part-time work during school (even just a few hours a week), make sure that's reflected in your wage history too. Every bit helps with the calculation. Also, don't stress too much about the online calculator giving you different numbers - it's notoriously unreliable because it doesn't account for all the nuances of which quarters they actually use. The good news is that tech workers usually have decent wages that result in higher benefit amounts. Just make sure to review everything carefully when you get your determination letter. Good luck with the job search - the tech market is tough right now but there are still opportunities out there!

Same question here! I'm doing some gig work and wasn't sure how to report it properly on my weekly claims.

For gig work, you need to report ALL earnings for the week you actually received payment, not when you did the work. So if you did DoorDash or Uber on Monday but got paid Friday, report it for that Friday's claim week. NYS DOL counts gross earnings before any expenses or taxes. I learned this the hard way when I got an overpayment notice because I wasn't reporting my gig earnings correctly. The key is being super accurate about when you actually received the money in your account.

The system is so slow these days. Back when I first filed in 2019 it was much faster but now with all the changes since covid everything takes forever. Just be patient and keep doing your weekly certifications. The money will come eventually, they're just backed up processing everything.

I just went through this process a few months ago and wanted to share what helped me. Besides keeping up with weekly certifications, make sure your direct deposit info is set up correctly in your online account - that was actually what delayed my first payment by almost a week. Also, if you haven't already, download the NY.gov ID app and verify your identity through that system. NYS Department of Labor has been requiring additional identity verification for many new claims, and getting ahead of that can speed things up. Hang in there - the first payment is always the longest wait, but once it starts flowing it's usually pretty consistent.

Good luck hun! Being a single mom is so hard, hope you find something soon 💕

I'm so sorry you're going through this tough situation. While childcare issues typically don't qualify as "good cause" for unemployment in NY, I'd still encourage you to apply and be completely honest about your circumstances. Make sure to include that daycare closure letter and explain that you actively tried to find alternative childcare but couldn't. Sometimes adjudicators will consider unique situations. In the meantime, also check if you qualify for emergency assistance programs through your county's social services department - they sometimes have emergency childcare funding or other support for parents in crisis situations like yours.

The whole system is so confusing!! I went through something similar and it took me weeks to figure out which office to call. Workers comp ended up taking care of everything though once I got the ball rolling. Don't let your employer stall you - you have rights and they know it.

@Javier Cruz - I went through a similar work injury situation a few years ago. Don't let your employer drag their feet on this! You have 30 days from the date of injury to file a workers comp claim, but the sooner the better. If your supervisor isn't being helpful, go directly to HR or whoever handles workers comp at your company. You can also call the Workers' Compensation Board directly at 1-877-632-4996 - they'll walk you through the process and make sure you get the forms you need. The weekly benefits usually cover about 2/3 of your wages while you're recovering, which is way better than what unemployment would give you. Hang in there!