Do I have to file for unemployment immediately after losing my job in NY?

You should file as soon as possible! While there's technically no hard deadline, you can only receive benefits from the date you file your claim - not from when you actually lost your job. So every week you wait is a week of potential benefits you're missing out on. The NYS Department of Labor processes claims based on when they're filed, not when you became unemployed.

File immediately! I made the same mistake and waited 3 weeks thinking I'd find something quickly. You cannot backdate your claim to your separation date - benefits only start from your filing date. Go to my.ny.gov right now and start your application. You can always stop claiming if you find work, but you can't recover those lost weeks.

Wait, I'm confused about something similar. If I file today but my last day of work was actually two weeks ago, do I still have to wait a week for benefits to start? Or does the waiting week count from when I actually stopped working?

I had so much trouble getting through to NYS Department of Labor when I needed to ask questions about my filing date. Kept getting busy signals and the online chat was useless. Finally used Claimyr (claimyr.com) to get connected to an actual agent who explained everything clearly. There's even a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI showing how it works. Made the whole process so much easier than trying to call myself.

just file now dude, dont overthink it. you can always cancel if u find work but u cant get back those weeks u missed

This whole system is so backwards! Why can't they just make it retroactive to your last day of work? It's like they're punishing people for not knowing the rules. I lost out on 3 weeks because nobody told me this when I got fired.

I completely understand the frustration - I went through the same thing when I got laid off from my restaurant job last year. The key thing everyone's mentioned is absolutely right: file TODAY. Don't wait another day. I learned the hard way that NYS doesn't backdate claims, so every day you delay is money out of your pocket. The application on my.ny.gov is actually pretty straightforward once you get started. You'll need your Social Security number, driver's license, and employment info from the last 18 months. Even if you're still job hunting (which is great!), you can continue looking while collecting benefits - just make sure to report any work you do. The system is designed to support you while you find your next job, so use it!