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Been there with the ski resort thing! Getting through to NYS Department of Labor on the phone to ask about seasonal eligibility was impossible last year - kept getting busy signals or hung up on. Finally used a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that connected me directly to an agent. There's even a video demo showing how it works: https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI. Made it so much easier to get my questions answered about standby status.
The NYS unemployment system is such a joke for seasonal workers. They make you jump through hoops proving you're looking for work when everyone knows you're just waiting for your seasonal job to start back up. But yeah technically you can collect if you meet the wage requirements.
I've been dealing with NYS Department of Labor for months and honestly it's a nightmare. The website crashes constantly, you can never get through on the phone, and they make you jump through so many hoops just to get money you're entitled to. But yeah, unemployment insurance is supposed to replace part of your income while you look for new work. Just be prepared for a lot of frustration with their system.
I had similar issues trying to reach them by phone. After weeks of busy signals, I found this service called Claimyr at claimyr.com that actually got me through to a NYS Department of Labor agent in like 20 minutes. They have a video demo showing how it works at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI. Saved me so much time and stress when I needed to check on my adjudication status.
Just wanted to add - make sure you apply as soon as possible after losing your job. There's no waiting period in NY, so you can file your claim right away. The sooner you file, the sooner your benefits can start. And don't worry about making mistakes on the application - you can always call to correct information later (though good luck getting through to them on the phone!).
I had trouble getting through to NYS Department of Labor when I had questions about reporting part-time work. After waiting on hold for hours multiple times, I found this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that helped me get connected to an actual agent. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI showing how it works. Was able to get my questions answered about partial benefits within a day instead of spending weeks trying to call.
wait so even the partial payments when you work part time count? i thought those might be different since you're still working
Yuki Tanaka
The unemployment system wasn't designed for the modern economy. Most of the rules and procedures were created decades ago when job markets were more stable and predictable. Now you have gig workers, remote positions, seasonal employment, and industry shifts that don't fit into the old categories. The NYS Department of Labor infrastructure can't handle the volume or complexity of today's workforce situations.
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Carmen Ortiz
•THIS! I was doing freelance work and they treated it like I was trying to commit fraud when I reported it correctly. The system doesn't understand modern work arrangements AT ALL.
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MidnightRider
honestly the whole thing is designed to make you give up... they make it so hard to get benefits that probably half the people who qualify just stop trying
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Andre Laurent
•sadly true, my neighbor went through a 4 month appeal process and finally got approved but said it wasn't worth the stress
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