Been dealing with this stuff for years and honestly the hardest part is getting through to NYS Department of Labor when you have questions about claims or need to dispute something. Their phone lines are always jammed. I finally started using this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that gets you connected to actual agents without the endless hold times. They have a demo video at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI that shows how it works. Saved me hours of frustration.

just a heads up - if any of those 3 employees file for unemployment your rate WILL go up next year. theres no way around it with layoffs. budget for at least a 1-2% increase in your SUI rate

Wait I thought there was some kind of offset? Like if you make too much from social security they reduce your unemployment? Or maybe that's a different state... this stuff gets so confusing with all the different rules

Just wanted to add that you'll still need to certify that you're able and available for work each week, even while getting social security. Some people think being on SS means you don't have to be available for work but that's not true for unemployment benefits. You need to show you're actively seeking employment and can accept suitable work if offered.

The NYS Department of Labor has a benefit calculator on their website but honestly it's not super accurate. I was getting way less than what it estimated because of some weird calculation with my base period. Had to call them multiple times to figure out why my amount was lower than expected. If you're having trouble getting through to someone at NYS Department of Labor, I actually used a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that helped me get connected to an agent. They have this video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI that shows how it works. Really saved me hours of calling.

Don't forget you also have to do the job search requirements to keep getting benefits. It's 3 job search activities per week and you have to log them in the system. That doesn't affect the amount but you won't get paid if you don't do it.

The system is honestly pretty fair when you think about it. Employees and employers both contribute, and then when people lose their jobs through no fault of their own, there's money available for benefits. Much better than some states where it's harder to qualify or the benefits run out faster.

omg THANK YOU for asking this!! I've been wondering the same thing but felt dumb asking. new to NY and this paycheck deduction confused me so much

ugh the whole system is so confusing!! how can unemployment go UP when more people have jobs?? makes no sense to me but then again nothing about dealing with government agencies ever does

Just went through this with my unemployment claim. When I called NYS Department of Labor to ask about job search requirements, they mentioned that periods like this actually mean they're more strict about the work search documentation since opportunities exist. If you need to reach them for questions, I had luck using claimyr.com - they help you get through to actual agents instead of sitting on hold forever. There's a demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI that shows how it works.