I had trouble reaching someone at NYS Department of Labor when I had questions about my claim status. Kept getting busy signals and the callback system never worked. A friend told me about this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that helps you get through to actual agents. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI showing how it works. Might be useful if you run into issues and need to speak with someone directly about your application.

Also make sure you understand the job search requirements from day one. You'll need to do at least 3 job search activities per week and keep a log of everything. Don't wait until your first weekly claim to figure this out - start job searching immediately even while your claim is processing.

don't forget that unemployed people still spend money which generates sales tax revenue, it's not like the government loses ALL tax income from unemployed people

Good point about sales taxes, though the spending patterns change significantly. People on unemployment typically reduce discretionary spending, which affects overall economic activity and tax generation. It's a cascading effect that goes beyond just the direct loss of income taxes.

The NYS Department of Labor system is so confusing with these calculations. They sent me a monetary determination letter but the math still doesn't add up even after reading it 5 times. Why can't they just explain it in plain English?

One thing people miss is that if you worked in multiple states during your base period, you might be able to combine wages for a higher benefit amount. NYS Department of Labor has interstate agreements for this but you have to specifically request it.

This is exactly why I hate dealing with unemployment. They use all these weird terms that aren't explained anywhere and then expect you to figure it out on your own. The whole system is designed to confuse people into giving up.

definitely appeal this. sounds like they made an error or got bad information about your employment

wait so when I file for unemployment my old job finds out?? I thought that was private information

Don't let them guilt trip you! I've been through this with multiple jobs and some employers just don't like paying into the system. The restaurant industry especially has issues with this because they have high employee turnover. Your manager should understand that unemployment insurance is a cost of doing business, not a personal attack on the company.