I was in a similar situation last year - got laid off from part time work. The thing that surprised me is they look at ALL your wages during the base period, not just your most recent job. So even though my recent job was only part time, my earlier full time work helped me qualify for a higher benefit amount. Definitely file even if you're not 100% sure you qualify - the worst they can say is no.

The NYS Department of Labor website has a benefit calculator where you can estimate if you qualify and how much you might get. Just search for 'unemployment benefit calculator' on their site. It's not 100% accurate but gives you a good idea before you file your claim.

unemployment basically means temporary money when you get fired or laid off. you have to look for jobs and prove it every week or they stop paying you. its not a lot of money but better than nothing i guess

Just to clarify - you get unemployment benefits when you're unemployed through no fault of your own. Being fired for misconduct usually disqualifies you. The NYS Department of Labor will review your case during something called adjudication to determine if you qualify. Make sure you have all your employment information ready when you apply.

Just wanted to add that sometimes there can be delays if they need to verify your employment history or if there's any question about why you became unemployed. Restaurant workers sometimes have issues if there are questions about tips or if the employer contests the claim. Hopefully that's not your situation but just something to be aware of.

Usually takes 2-3 weeks total if everything goes smoothly

Check if your local grocery stores cash checks - some do it for free if you're buying groceries at the same time. Also credit unions are usually cheaper than banks if you need to open an account.

Just be careful about where you go - some places won't cash government benefit checks or they'll hold them for days to clear. Unemployment checks from NYS Department of Labor are usually pretty reliable though so most places should take them.

I had so much trouble getting through to someone at NYS Department of Labor when I had weekly claim questions last month. Kept getting disconnected after waiting on hold forever. Finally used this 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. Made the whole process so much easier than trying to call myself.

ugh the weekly claims are such a pain!! i always stress about whether im answering everything right. last week i accidentally hit yes instead of no on one question and had to call to fix it. took forever to get through.