UGH the NYS Department of Labor is SO SLOW! I waited 5 weeks for mine to get approved and they never even told me why it took so long. The whole system is a joke - they expect us to survive on nothing while they take their sweet time processing claims. Keep calling them every day if you can get through!

Just wanted to add that you should definitely keep filing your weekly claims even while waiting for approval. If your claim gets approved, they'll backdate the payments to when you first became eligible. Missing weekly claims can cause problems later.

I've been trying to get through to NYS Department of Labor for weeks to ask this exact question but their phone lines are impossible. Tried calling at 8am sharp and still couldn't get through. It's so frustrating when you need a simple answer about work rules. Finally found a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that actually got me connected to an agent in like 10 minutes. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI showing how it works. Saved me so much stress trying to figure this out on my own.

Just remember you still have to do your job search activities even if you're working part-time! I made that mistake and almost got in trouble during my eligibility review. Three job contacts per week unless you're in standby status.

If your employer disputes your claim, it goes into adjudication and can take weeks to resolve. I've been waiting 3 weeks for my adjudication decision and still haven't heard anything. The NYS Department of Labor phone lines are impossible to get through - I've called hundreds of times. Someone recently told me about this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that helps you actually reach NYS Department of Labor agents by phone. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI showing how it works. Might be worth checking out if you run into issues getting through to them.

Also remember you have to be able and available for work and actively looking for a job. That means registering on the NY job portal and doing job search activities every week. Don't skip this part - they can audit your job search log at any time and if you haven't been keeping up with the requirements, they can disqualify you even if you qualified initially.

unemployment can lead to A LOT of problems if it goes on too long!! I've seen people lose their homes, cars, marriages... the whole system is broken and doesnt really help people get back to work just keeps them dependent on benefits

Been there. Lost my apartment, had to move back with family. But honestly it was also a wake-up call that pushed me to change careers entirely. Sometimes unemployment forces you to reevaluate what you really want to do with your life.

I had major issues reaching NYS Department of Labor to get clarification on a weird disqualification like this. Ended up using claimyr.com to get through to an actual agent who could explain what happened with my case. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI that shows how it works. Turned out there was just confusion in my file that got sorted out once I talked to someone.

This is EXACTLY the kind of bureaucratic nonsense that makes dealing with unemployment so frustrating! They'll find any excuse to deny legitimate claims. Technology displacement should make you MORE eligible for benefits, not less, since you need time to retrain for new skills.