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Wait, what if you get fired for cause? Does that affect eligibility even if you meet the work requirements? I'm asking for a friend who might be in trouble at work and has only been there 8 months...
Been there! I survived 4 months on unemployment but had to move back in with roommates and basically ate ramen every day. The weekly job search thing is annoying but not that hard if you just apply to everything remotely related to your field.
Wait so if I quit my job can I still collect unemployment? Or does it have to be like a layoff situation? Also how long does it take to get approved? I'm getting really worried about my rent payment next month.
Generally you need to be unemployed through no fault of your own - so layoffs, company closures, being fired for non-misconduct reasons. Quitting usually disqualifies you unless it was for good cause. Processing times vary but expect at least a few weeks, especially if your claim goes into adjudication.
I remember when I first got unemployment I thought it would be like my regular paycheck! Reality hit pretty hard when I realized it was only about half. The benefits are really just meant to keep you afloat while job searching, not maintain your previous lifestyle. Make sure you're actively looking for work because they do require job search activities.
Wait, what kind of job search activities? I've been applying to jobs but nobody told me about specific requirements.
If you're having trouble reaching NYS Department of Labor agents to get more details about your benefit calculation, I used a service called Claimyr that helped me get through. You can check them out at claimyr.com - they have a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI that explains how it works. I was stuck trying to understand my benefit rate for weeks before using them to actually talk to someone.
Misterclamation Skyblue
wait so do i need to have worked for a whole year to get unemployment? i was only at my last job for like 6 months but i had another job before that
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Collins Angel
•No, you don't need to work a full year at one job. The NYS Department of Labor looks at all your covered employment during your base period, so if you had multiple jobs that all paid into unemployment insurance, they count all of those wages together.
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Peyton Clarke
Just want to add that you should file your claim as soon as possible after losing your job. There's a one week waiting period in NY and benefits are not retroactive to before you file. Also make sure you understand the difference between filing your initial claim and filing your weekly claims - you have to do both to keep getting payments.
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