Can you get unemployment if you relocate - NYS Department of Labor eligibility?
I'm thinking about moving from Albany to Syracuse for family reasons but I'm worried about my unemployment benefits. Currently receiving UI through NYS Department of Labor and have about 8 weeks left on my claim. Will relocating within New York affect my eligibility? Do I need to notify them before I move or can I just update my address? Really don't want to mess up my claim status right now.
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GalaxyGuardian
Moving within New York shouldn't affect your unemployment benefits at all. You'll still be under the same NYS Department of Labor system. Just make sure to update your address in your my.ny.gov account as soon as you move. The key thing is you still need to be able and available for work in your new location and continue your job search requirements.
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Mateo Rodriguez
•That's a relief! Do I need to change my job search area to Syracuse or can I keep looking in both cities?
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Aisha Abdullah
yeah i moved from rochester to buffalo last year while on unemployment and had no issues. just updated my address online and kept filing my weekly claims normally
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Ethan Wilson
You should be fine as long as you stay within New York state. However, make sure you understand the job search requirements for your new area. Some regions may have different available resources or requirements through the local workforce development offices. Also, if you're moving because of a spouse's job relocation, that could potentially qualify as good cause if you ever need to quit a job in the future.
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Yuki Tanaka
•Wait, what if you move out of state? I might have to move to Pennsylvania for a job opportunity but I still have 12 weeks left on my claim.
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Ethan Wilson
•Moving out of state gets more complicated. You'd need to contact NYS Department of Labor directly to see if you can continue your claim or if you'd need to transfer to the new state's system. Each state has different rules about this.
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Carmen Diaz
I had trouble getting through to NYS Department of Labor when I moved and needed to ask questions about my claim. Kept getting disconnected after waiting on hold forever. Finally used 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. Was worth it to get my questions answered quickly instead of wasting hours calling.
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Andre Laurent
•How much does something like that cost? Seems like we shouldn't have to pay extra just to reach the people who are supposed to help us.
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Carmen Diaz
•I get the frustration but honestly it saved me so much time and stress. Better than calling 50 times and never getting through.
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AstroAce
The NYS Department of Labor system is such a nightmare to navigate. I swear they make it confusing on purpose. At least staying in state should be straightforward - it's when you cross state lines that everything becomes a bureaucratic mess.
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Mohammed Khan
Just wanted to add that when you update your address, also make sure to check if there are any local American Job Centers or career services in Syracuse that you should register with. Sometimes they have additional resources or job fairs that could help with your search requirements. The transition should be smooth since you're staying in NY, but taking advantage of local resources in your new city could actually help you find work faster and get off unemployment sooner.
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Freya Andersen
•That's really good advice about the American Job Centers! I didn't even think about that. Does anyone know if Syracuse has better job resources than Albany? I'm hoping the move might actually open up more opportunities since it's a bigger city.
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