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THE WHOLE SYSTEM IS DESIGNED TO DENY BENEFITS! They make it so confusing on purpose. I got denied even though I worked for 2 years because they said I didn't earn enough in the right quarters. Make sure you understand their base period calculation or you'll get screwed like I did.
Just went through this myself. The main thing is being unemployed through no fault of your own. Economic layoffs, company closures, end of seasonal work all qualify. Getting fired for poor performance might still qualify but misconduct like stealing or violating company policy usually doesn't. Your 18 months should be plenty for the earnings requirement.
You know what really gets me? They make this process SO difficult for people who are already stressed about losing their jobs. Like they WANT you to give up and not collect. The whole system needs to be overhauled but nobody in Albany cares about working people.
I had so much trouble getting through to NYS Department of Labor when they flagged my claim for review. Kept getting disconnected after waiting on hold for hours. Finally used this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that calls them for you and gets you connected to an actual agent. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI that shows how it works. Saved me weeks of frustration trying to get answers about my disqualification.
The whole system is designed to deny as many people as possible! They'll find any excuse - didn't file your weekly claim on the exact right day, missed one job search contact, anything. It's all about saving the state money.
I had a nightmare trying to reach someone at NYS Department of Labor when I had questions about my eligibility after a layoff. Spent hours on hold and kept getting disconnected. Finally found this service called Claimyr at claimyr.com that actually got me through to a real person. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI showing how it works. Might be worth checking out if you need to talk to someone about your specific situation.
Carmen Ortiz
If you're having trouble getting through to NYS Department of Labor for specific data requests, you might want to try claimyr.com - they have a service that helps people actually reach live agents at unemployment offices. Sometimes the research departments can point you to data that's not easily found online. There's a demo video at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI that shows how it works.
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Mateo Perez
•Interesting, I hadn't thought about calling them directly. Do you think they'd actually have someone who could help with historical statistics requests?
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Carmen Ortiz
•It's worth a shot! I used it when I couldn't get answers about my claim status, and they connected me pretty quickly. The research folks might be more accessible than you'd think.
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Andre Rousseau
Just a heads up - when you do find the data, make sure you understand how they calculate unemployment rates for teens. It's different from adult rates because of school enrollment status and part-time vs full-time work availability.
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