Can DoorDash drivers file for unemployment in New York - NYS Department of Labor eligibility question

Unfortunately, as an independent contractor with DoorDash, you typically won't qualify for regular unemployment insurance through NYS Department of Labor. UI benefits are generally for employees who have wages reported on W-2 forms and have employers paying into the unemployment insurance system. Since DoorDash drivers receive 1099 forms and are classified as independent contractors, they don't have the same eligibility. However, you might want to check if you had any W-2 employment in the past 18 months that could establish a valid claim.

Actually yes, your previous W-2 employment could potentially establish eligibility! NYS Department of Labor looks at your base period earnings (usually the first 4 of the last 5 completed calendar quarters) to determine if you have enough wages to qualify. The fact that you're currently doing DoorDash as a 1099 contractor doesn't automatically disqualify you if you have sufficient W-2 wages in your base period. You'd need to meet the able and available requirements though, which means actively seeking W-2 employment.

I was in a similar situation last year. Had trouble getting through to NYS Department of Labor to ask about my eligibility since I had mixed W-2 and 1099 work. Kept getting disconnected when calling their main number. Finally used this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that actually got me connected to a real person who could review my work history. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI that shows exactly how it works. Made the whole process way less stressful than trying to call for weeks.

The gig economy stuff is so confusing when it comes to unemployment. I drive for both DoorDash and Uber and never know what benefits I might be entitled to. The whole system seems designed for traditional employment relationships that don't really exist anymore for a lot of people.

One important thing to keep in mind - if you do qualify based on your previous W-2 employment and file a claim, you'll need to report any earnings from your DoorDash work when you file your weekly claims. Even though it's 1099 income, any work and earnings need to be reported to NYS Department of Labor. This could affect your weekly benefit amount depending on how much you earn.

I went through this exact same situation about a year ago when my DoorDash earnings dropped significantly. I had worked at a retail job for about 10 months before switching to full-time gig work. What really helped me was gathering all my W-2 documents and pay stubs from my previous employer before applying. NYS Department of Labor was able to establish my claim based on those wages, but the process took longer than I expected - about 3-4 weeks to get my first payment. Just make sure you're prepared to actively job search for traditional employment positions and keep detailed records of your applications. It's worth applying even if you're not 100% sure about your eligibility since they'll review your work history and let you know.