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I'm in the same boat... $194 per week doesn't even cover groceries for my family. This is so stressful, what if I calculated something wrong when I applied? Can they reduce it even more if they find an error? I keep checking my account obsessively.
I'm confused though - if I'm already paying unemployment taxes to NYS Department of Labor for my employees, why do I also have to pay federal? Seems like double taxation to me. And what happens if one of my employees files for unemployment benefits - does it come from the state fund or federal fund?
They serve different purposes. Your NYS Department of Labor taxes fund the actual unemployment benefits your employees receive. The federal FUTA tax funds the administrative costs of the unemployment system and provides loans to states when their unemployment funds run low. When your employee files a claim, the benefits come from the state fund that you've been paying into.
Just a heads up - if you're having trouble getting through to NYS Department of Labor for any employer-related questions, I discovered this service called Claimyr at claimyr.com that helps people actually reach agents by phone. They have a demo video at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI showing how it works. Saved me hours of being on hold when I needed to resolve an issue with my unemployment account last year.
Thanks for the tip! I've definitely struggled getting through to NYS Department of Labor in the past. Does it work for employer questions too or just for people filing claims?
The official NYS Department of Labor application is only available through my.ny.gov - don't use any other websites claiming to help you apply as they might be scams. Make sure you're on the legitimate .gov site. After you submit your initial claim, you'll need to file weekly claims to continue receiving benefits.
I had so much trouble reaching anyone at NYS Department of Labor when my application got stuck. Kept calling and either got busy signals or got disconnected after waiting on hold forever. Finally found this service called Claimyr that actually got me through to a real person at the unemployment office. You can check it out at claimyr.com - they have a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI that shows how it works. Really saved me a lot of frustration.
Victoria Stark
Don't forget you need to register for work search activities right away too. The job search requirements kick in immediately so have your resume ready and start thinking about where you'll be applying. NYS Department of Labor is pretty strict about the work search log.
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Grace Durand
yeah and make sure you file the same week you lose your job or you might lose benefits for that week. the system doesn't backdate easily
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