Been through this exact thing. File with NY since that's where your wages were earned. Just make sure you have all your employment info ready when you file - dates, employer info, reason for separation, etc. The NYS Department of Labor system will walk you through it.

Just want to add that when you file with NYS Department of Labor, make sure you have your Social Security number and all your employment details from the NY job ready. The system is pretty straightforward once you get started. I was in a similar situation (lived in PA, worked in NY) and it was actually easier than I expected. The key thing is that your employer was paying into the NY unemployment system, so that's definitely where your claim needs to go. Don't overthink it - you've got this!

thanks for asking this question, i was wondering the same thing but felt dumb asking lol

I went through this exact same confusion when I first applied! One thing that helped me was looking at my actual wage statements from employers - they usually show which quarter the wages were reported for. Also, if you worked multiple part-time jobs like you mentioned, make sure ALL your employers reported your wages correctly to NYS Department of Labor. I had one employer who was late reporting my Q2 wages and it initially looked like I had a gap in my work history. The system automatically calculates your base period once you file, but it's worth double-checking that all your wages are showing up properly in their system.

just went to miami for my friends wedding while collecting benefits, no big deal. answered yes to all the questions like normal and never heard anything about it

The safest approach is to not claim benefits for the days you're definitely not available for work. Yes, you'll lose some money, but it's better than getting hit with an overpayment notice later. NYS Department of Labor takes the 'able and available' requirement seriously, especially post-COVID when they're cracking down on fraud.

ugh employers are the worst about this stuff... they fire people then try to screw them out of benefits too

Document everything you can remember about your layoff - dates, who told you, what exactly they said, any witnesses present. If there were multiple people laid off at the same time, try to get contact info for them as they could be witnesses. Also check if you have any performance reviews or emails that show you were meeting expectations before the layoff. The key is showing this was truly a budget-related layoff and not performance-based termination. NYS Department of Labor will want to see a clear timeline of events from both sides.

I feel your pain! I'm going through the exact same thing - filed about 6 weeks ago and still stuck in review limbo. It's so stressful not knowing when (or if) you'll actually get benefits. I've been keeping a spreadsheet tracking all my weekly certifications and any correspondence, just in case. Have you gotten any updates or additional requests for info since you filed? Sometimes they send stuff that's easy to miss and that can hold up the whole process even longer.

Same situation here - filed about 5 weeks ago and still nothing but "under review" every time I check. The worst part is not knowing if there's something I'm supposed to do or if it's just the system being slow. I've been calling every few days but can never get through. Starting to wonder if I filled something out wrong or if they need more documentation. Has anyone had luck with emailing them instead of calling? Getting really anxious about bills piling up while waiting for this to resolve.