Do I qualify for unemployment benefits through NYS Department of Labor?

You likely qualify based on what you've described. NYS Department of Labor looks at your earnings over the past 18 months (called your base period) to determine eligibility. Since you worked full-time for 8 months at $42K plus the part-time work before that, you should meet the minimum earnings requirement. The key factors are: 1) You must have earned wages in at least 2 quarters of your base period, 2) Your total base period wages must be at least $2,600, and 3) You must be unemployed through no fault of your own (layoffs count). Being laid off due to budget cuts definitely qualifies as involuntary separation.

One thing to watch out for - make sure you have all your employment info ready when you file. NYS Department of Labor will need employer names, addresses, dates of employment, and your last day worked. Also be prepared for the job search requirement - you'll need to make at least 3 job contacts per week and keep records. I learned this the hard way when my claim got flagged for not having proper documentation.

ugh the whole application process is so confusing!! i tried calling the NYS Department of Labor phone line like 50 times yesterday and kept getting hung up on. their website keeps crashing too when i try to create an account. has anyone actually gotten through to talk to a real person recently??

You likely qualify based on what you've described. For NYS Department of Labor unemployment benefits, you need sufficient work history and wages in your base period (usually the first 4 of the last 5 completed quarters). With 8 months of work at $16/hour for 32 hours weekly, plus your previous 6-month job, you should meet the wage requirements. Since you were laid off due to restructuring (not fired for misconduct), you should be eligible. I'd recommend applying right away since there's a waiting period.

Just wanted to say I was in a similar situation last year - laid off from my first real job after college. I was super worried I hadn't worked long enough but it turned out fine. The application itself isn't too bad once you get started, just make sure you file your weekly claims every week even while your initial claim is being processed. Good luck!

Definitely apply ASAP! You'll need your Social Security number, employment history for the past 18 months (dates, employer info, reason for separation), and your bank account info for direct deposit. The NYS Department of Labor usually processes applications within 2-3 weeks if there are no issues. Make sure you file your weekly claims even while your initial application is being reviewed.

ugh the nys department of labor website is so confusing!! i spent hours trying to figure out the same thing when i got laid off. just apply and let them tell you if you qualify or not, thats what i did

I had a similar situation last year - worked part-time retail and wasn't sure if I qualified. Turned out I did! The key thing is having enough wages in your base period. If you're having trouble getting through to the NYS Department of Labor phone lines (which is super common), I actually used a service called Claimyr that helped me get connected to an agent quickly. You can check it out at claimyr.com - they have a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI that shows how it works. Really saved me a lot of frustration trying to call myself.

Just wanted to say good luck! I was in the exact same boat a few months ago and was so worried I wouldn't qualify. Everything worked out fine and my benefits started within 3 weeks. The hardest part is just getting started with the application.