Can I collect unemployment until I start my new job - NYS Department of Labor question

You can continue collecting unemployment benefits until your actual start date as long as you remain able and available for work. When you file your weekly claim, you'll answer honestly about your job search activities and any work offers. The key is that you're still unemployed until you actually begin working. Make sure to report the job offer when prompted in your weekly certification - NYS Department of Labor wants transparency about your employment status.

yeah I did this same thing last year when I had a 2 week gap, kept getting my benefits until the first day of work

Wait I'm confused about this too - what if the job falls through? Like what if they change their mind or something happens before I start? I have a job lined up for next month but I'm worried about reporting it and then losing both the job AND my unemployment if something goes wrong.

The official rule is you're eligible for unemployment as long as you're unemployed and meet the weekly requirements. Having a future job offer doesn't disqualify you from current benefits. I had a similar situation where I accepted a position but had to wait for background checks and onboarding - collected benefits the whole time without any issues. Just don't try to collect after you've actually started working, that's when problems happen.

Ugh the NYS Department of Labor phone system is impossible if you need to ask them directly about this stuff. I spent 4 hours trying to get through last week about a different question and kept getting disconnected. Someone on here mentioned using claimyr.com to actually reach an agent - apparently they have some system that gets you through the phone queue. Might be worth checking out if you want official confirmation, there's a demo video at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI showing how it works.

this is why the unemployment system is so messed up, people trying to game it by collecting when they already have jobs lined up...

I'm in a similar boat right now - got a job offer that starts in 2 weeks and wasn't sure about the benefits situation. From what I understand, you're technically still unemployed until your first day of work, so you should be able to continue collecting. I've been reporting my job search activities honestly in my weekly claims and plan to mention the offer when it asks about employment prospects. The important thing seems to be that you stop filing once you actually begin working, not just when you accept an offer. Has anyone had issues with NYS Department of Labor questioning this approach?

I went through this exact situation about 6 months ago and it worked out fine. I had a 3-week gap between accepting a job offer and my start date, and NYS Department of Labor confirmed I could continue collecting benefits during that time. The key is being completely honest on your weekly certifications - when it asks about job offers or employment prospects, report it accurately. I mentioned that I had accepted a position with a future start date and continued to file weekly. My benefits stopped automatically once I reported earnings from my first week of work. Just make sure you don't file for any week where you actually worked - that's where people get into trouble with overpayments.

Just want to add another perspective - I work in HR and see this situation come up fairly often. The gap between job offer acceptance and start date is completely normal and expected. Companies often need time for background checks, drug screenings, reference verification, or they might have specific onboarding schedules. From NYS Department of Labor's perspective, you're genuinely unemployed during this period and entitled to benefits. I've never seen anyone get in trouble for this as long as they're truthful on their weekly certifications. The system is designed to handle these common employment transitions, so don't stress about it too much!

I'm dealing with this exact situation right now and this thread has been super helpful! I accepted a job offer last week that doesn't start for another month due to their quarterly onboarding schedule. I was really worried about whether I should stop filing immediately or wait until I actually start working. Based on everyone's experiences here, it sounds like the consensus is to continue filing weekly claims while being completely transparent about having a job offer with a future start date. The fact that multiple people have successfully navigated this with NYS Department of Labor without issues gives me a lot of confidence. I'm planning to report the job offer honestly in my weekly certification and continue collecting until my actual first day of work. Thanks everyone for sharing your real-world experiences - it's so much more helpful than trying to decipher the official policy language on their website!

I went through this same situation about 8 months ago with NYS Department of Labor and can confirm what others have said - you can absolutely continue collecting benefits until your actual start date. I had a 4-week gap between accepting my job offer and starting work due to security clearance processing. The key things I learned: 1) Be completely honest on your weekly certifications about having a job offer, 2) Continue to meet all the usual requirements (able/available for work, job search if required), and 3) Stop filing the week you actually start working and earn wages. I never had any issues or questions from NYS DOL about this approach. The system is definitely set up to handle these normal employment transition periods, so don't overthink it!

I just want to echo what everyone else has said - you're definitely fine to continue collecting until your actual start date! I was in this exact situation about a year ago with a 2.5 week gap between accepting an offer and starting work. The most important thing is being transparent on your weekly claims about having the job lined up. NYS Department of Labor actually expects these kinds of transition periods and the system handles them smoothly. When I filed my weekly certifications, I simply reported that I had accepted employment with a future start date and continued to answer all the other questions honestly. Everything went perfectly and my benefits stopped automatically once I reported my first week's earnings. Don't stress about it - this is a completely normal situation that thousands of people go through!

I'm currently in this situation too and this thread has been incredibly reassuring! I accepted a job offer yesterday that doesn't start for 3 weeks due to their new hire orientation schedule. I was really anxious about whether I should immediately stop my weekly claims or continue filing. Based on all the experiences shared here, it's clear that continuing to collect benefits while being completely honest about having a future job offer is the right approach. The consistent message from everyone who's actually been through this process is that NYS Department of Labor expects and handles these transition periods routinely. I'm going to follow the advice here - keep filing weekly, report the job offer honestly when prompted, and stop only when I actually start working and earning wages. Thanks to everyone for sharing their real-world experiences - it's made this whole situation so much less stressful!