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.

wait so what if you work gig jobs or are self employed? still covered?

Independent contractors and gig workers typically aren't covered under regular unemployment insurance. You'd need to look into other programs. Traditional employees at most companies are automatically covered though - that's the mandatory part the original poster was asking about.

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

I had the same issue with getting through to someone when I had questions about my application. Spent hours on hold with NYS Department of Labor. Found this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that actually gets you connected to a real person at the unemployment office without all the waiting. They have a video demo showing exactly how it works: https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI. Saved me so much time when I needed to clarify some details about my application.

Just be honest and thorough. I made the mistake of rushing through it and had to deal with adjudication issues later because some of my employment info didn't match what my employer reported.

just to add my 2 cents - the $504 max hasnt changed much in recent years which is frustrating when everything else costs more. my cousin in california gets way more than that for unemployment

Don't forget you can also get the additional $25 per week if you're in approved training or education programs while on unemployment. Not much but every little bit helps when you're job searching.