New York Unemployment
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Can't reach New York Unemployment? Claimyr calls for you, so you don't have to wait on hold.
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- Connect you to a human agent at the NYDOL
- Skip the long phone menu
- Call the correct department
- Redial until on hold
- Forward a call to your phone with reduced hold time
- Give you free callbacks if the NYDOL drops your call
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When are you entitled to unemployment benefits - NYS Department of Labor eligibility requirements?
I've been working part-time for the past 8 months at a retail store and they just cut my hours from 25 to 8 per week. My manager says it's temporary but I can't survive on 8 hours. I'm wondering when are you entitled to unemployment benefits exactly? Do I qualify since I'm still technically employed? I've never filed for unemployment before and the NYS Department of Labor website is confusing me with all the different requirements. Can someone explain what makes you eligible?
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How to determine how much unemployment you will receive from NYS Department of Labor?
I just got laid off from my manufacturing job after 8 years and I'm trying to figure out what my weekly unemployment benefit will be. I was making about $58,000 annually but my hours varied quite a bit over the past year due to overtime and some reduced shifts. Does NYS Department of Labor use your highest quarter or your total earnings? And do they count overtime pay? I've heard different things from coworkers about how they calculate it. Has anyone gone through this recently and can explain how the benefit amount gets determined?
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Wait I'm confused - I thought they used your total annual earnings? My cousin said they look at everything you made in the past year and divide by 52 weeks. That's not right?
No, that's not how NYS Department of Labor calculates it. They use your highest quarter from the base period, not annual earnings. A lot of people get confused about this because other states do it differently.
Just went through this last month. One thing to watch out for is if you had any gaps in employment or if you're seasonal - that can affect your base period and you might not qualify for the full amount even if your highest quarter looks good. Also make sure all your employers reported your wages correctly because I had to dispute mine when one job didn't report properly.
What to say to NYS Department of Labor unemployment when fired - need help with my claim
I got terminated from my job last week and I'm really stressed about filing for unemployment. My supervisor said it was due to 'performance issues' but honestly I think they just wanted to get rid of me because I complained about unsafe working conditions. I know NYS Department of Labor is going to ask why I was fired when I file my claim. What should I tell them exactly? Should I mention the safety complaints I made or just stick to what my employer said? I'm worried if I say the wrong thing they'll deny my benefits. Has anyone been in this situation before?
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Whatever you do don't lie to them! They will find out and then you'll be in even worse trouble. I know someone who tried to hide why they got fired and they ended up having to pay back all their benefits plus penalties.
NYS Department of Labor sees this stuff all the time unfortunately. Performance issues vs misconduct is a big distinction for them. Like if you were late all the time or refused to do your job that's misconduct. But if they're saying you weren't meeting metrics or productivity standards, that's usually not considered misconduct that would disqualify you. The safety complaint angle might actually strengthen your case if you can show the timeline of when you made complaints vs when the 'performance issues' started being documented.
How long does it take to draw unemployment benefits from NYS Department of Labor?
I just got laid off from my warehouse job last Friday and need to know how long the whole process takes from filing to actually getting paid. My landlord is already asking about next month's rent and I'm getting stressed. I heard it can take forever with NYS Department of Labor but hoping someone here has recent experience. Do I need to wait for some approval or does the money start coming right away? Also not sure if I should file today or wait until Monday since I technically worked part of last week.
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For most people it's about 2-3 weeks total if there are no complications. Week 1 is filing and waiting for determination, Week 2 is your unpaid waiting week where you still need to certify weekly, Week 3 is when you should see your first payment if everything is approved. The important thing is to keep certifying every week even if you haven't been paid yet, and make sure you're doing your job search requirements from day one.
NYS Department of Labor unemployment compensation funded by taxpayers - need clarification on my benefits
I'm really confused about something my neighbor said yesterday. She told me that when unemployment compensation was paid by the taxpayer, people like me are basically taking money from hardworking families. This has me really worried about collecting my benefits. I lost my job at a warehouse in December and have been getting weekly payments from NYS Department of Labor since January. Are my unemployment benefits really coming directly from taxpayer money? I don't want to be a burden on other families but I also need these benefits to pay rent and buy groceries while I'm job searching. Can someone explain how this actually works? I've been doing my weekly claims and job search requirements like I'm supposed to but now I feel guilty about it.
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Your neighbor sounds like one of those people who complains about everything without understanding how it actually works. Don't let her make you feel bad about collecting benefits you earned!
omg this reminds me of when my aunt tried to tell me the same thing! She was like 'you're taking money from hardworking people' and I was like no aunt susan thats not how this works lol. some people just dont understand the system
Exactly! I think a lot of people just don't realize that unemployment is actually an insurance program that we all pay into through our employers.
Ryder Ross
If you're having trouble reaching someone at NYS Department of Labor to get a definitive answer about your specific situation, I used a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that helped me get through to an actual agent. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI showing how it works. It was really helpful when I couldn't get through the regular phone lines to ask about my eligibility questions.
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Finley Garrett
AuthorThanks for the suggestion! I've been trying to call for days but keep getting the busy signal. I'll check out that video.
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Gianni Serpent
Just wanted to add that you also can't be receiving certain other types of benefits while collecting UI. And if you quit your job voluntarily or got fired for misconduct, you won't qualify. But reduction in hours like yours usually counts as 'involuntary' so you should be good on that front.
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