Can students get unemployment benefits from NYS Department of Labor?

Students can qualify for unemployment benefits in New York, but there are specific requirements you need to meet. The key factors are: you must be able and available for work, actively seeking work, and your school schedule can't interfere with accepting suitable employment. Since you're already working and had your hours reduced, you might qualify for partial unemployment benefits. The NYS Department of Labor will look at whether your class schedule prevents you from accepting full-time work during normal business hours.

I was in a similar situation last year when I was a student. The NYS Department of Labor approved my claim but I had to prove I was looking for work and available during typical work hours. They asked detailed questions about my class schedule during the phone interview. Make sure you can show you're genuinely seeking employment and not just going to school full-time.

totally depends on your situation but most students cant get benefits because they're not really available for full time work

I had trouble reaching NYS Department of Labor to get clarification on my student status last semester. After getting disconnected multiple times trying to call their main number, I found this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that helped me get through to an actual agent. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI showing how it works. It was really helpful because the agent could explain exactly what documentation I needed as a student filing for partial benefits.

The whole system is ridiculous honestly. They make it so complicated for students when we're the ones who need help the most. I went through this mess last year and it took forever to get approved even though I was clearly available for work around my class schedule. Just be prepared for a lot of paperwork and questions.

You should definitely apply! I'm a part-time student and got approved for partial benefits when my restaurant job cut my shifts. The important thing is being honest about your availability and actively job searching. Keep records of your job applications because they might ask for your job search log.