Can seasonal workers collect unemployment benefits in New York - NYS Department of Labor eligibility question
I work at a ski resort in upstate NY that closes every April and reopens in December. Been doing this for 3 years now but never applied for unemployment during the off-season because I wasn't sure if seasonal workers are even eligible. My supervisor mentioned that some people file claims but others said seasonal workers can't get benefits. Does anyone know if the NYS Department of Labor allows seasonal employees to collect unemployment? I have all my W-2s and pay stubs if that matters.
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Sofia Ramirez
Yes, seasonal workers can absolutely collect unemployment benefits in NY! The key is that you need to have earned enough wages during your base period and be available for work. Since you've been working at the resort for 3 years, you should have sufficient work history. When you file your claim, make sure to list that you're able and available for work - this means you'd accept other employment during the off-season if offered.
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NebulaKnight
•That's a relief! Do I need to be actively job searching during the off-season or can I just wait for the resort to reopen?
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Dmitry Popov
You'll need to file your weekly claims and certify that you're actively looking for work unless you qualify for standby status. For seasonal workers, NYS Department of Labor sometimes approves standby if your employer confirms you'll be recalled to the same job. Contact your HR department and ask if they'll provide a recall letter with specific dates.
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Ava Rodriguez
•This is exactly what I did when I worked at a summer camp. Got a letter from my employer saying I'd be recalled in June and NYS Department of Labor approved standby status. Made the whole process much easier.
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Miguel Ortiz
wait I thought seasonal workers couldn't get benefits?? I worked at a beach resort last summer and someone told me I wasn't eligible because it was temporary work. now I'm wondering if I missed out on money I could have gotten
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Sofia Ramirez
•You might have been eligible depending on your work history and wages earned. Seasonal work isn't automatically disqualifying - the NYS Department of Labor looks at your total earnings during the base period, not just whether the job was seasonal.
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Zainab Khalil
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.
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NebulaKnight
•Interesting, never heard of that service before. Did they charge you a lot for it?
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Zainab Khalil
•Worth it to actually talk to someone who could explain the seasonal worker rules clearly instead of sitting on hold for hours.
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QuantumQuest
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.
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Connor Murphy
•same experience here, had to document job searches even though I knew I was going back to the same summer job in May
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