Does unemployment pay for holidays in New York - confused about weekly claims

Unemployment benefits don't provide extra holiday pay like a regular job would. You still file your weekly claim the same way during holiday weeks. The NYS Department of Labor system processes claims normally even when state offices are closed for holidays. Your benefit amount stays the same regardless of what day of the week the holiday falls on.

yeah no extra money for holidays unfortunately lol... been on unemployment for 3 months and holidays are just regular days as far as benefits go

For job search requirements during holiday weeks, you still need to complete your required work search activities. However, many employers and employment agencies have reduced hours during major holidays, so document your efforts even if responses are limited. Keep records of any applications submitted or contacts made during the holiday period for your job search log.

I had trouble reaching someone at NYS Department of Labor last month about a similar question regarding my weekly certification. The phone lines were constantly busy and I kept getting disconnected. A friend told me about claimyr.com - it's a service that helps you get through to unemployment agents. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI showing how it works. Ended up being really helpful for getting my questions answered directly instead of guessing.

Wait I'm confused now... so if I normally get paid on Wednesday but this week Wednesday is Christmas, do I still get my unemployment deposit? Or does it get delayed because of the bank holiday?

Just to add to what others have said - I've been collecting unemployment in NY for about 6 months now and can confirm that holiday weeks are treated exactly the same as regular weeks. You still need to certify for benefits by your usual deadline (typically Sunday night), complete your work search requirements, and report any work or income as normal. The only difference might be that your payment could be delayed by a day if it normally comes on the actual holiday due to banking processing, but the state will still process your claim. Don't overthink it - just follow your regular routine!

One thing I learned the hard way is to make sure you're still available for work during holiday weeks when you certify. Even though it's Christmas week, if you travel out of state to visit family or aren't available to accept work for any reason, you need to report that on your weekly claim. I made this mistake last year during Thanksgiving week and had to deal with a whole mess of paperwork to fix it. The holiday itself doesn't affect your eligibility, but your availability for work during that week still matters for your certification.

I went through this exact same situation last December! The key thing to remember is that holidays don't change your unemployment process at all - you still file your weekly claim by the Sunday deadline, complete your work search activities, and report any income or work as usual. The amount you receive stays the same too. The only potential hiccup might be if your direct deposit normally comes on the actual holiday (like Christmas Day), in which case it might be delayed by one business day due to bank processing, but that's just a timing thing, not an issue with your benefits. Don't stress about it - just follow your normal routine and you'll be fine!

I just want to echo what everyone else has said here - as someone who's been on unemployment in NY for the past 4 months, holidays really don't change anything about your weekly certification process. I was super worried about this same thing during Thanksgiving week, but it was totally fine. Just file your claim by Sunday like always, do your job searches (even if places are closed, just document that you tried), and don't overthink it. The state system runs automatically even when the offices are closed. Your payment amount stays exactly the same - no holiday bonus but also no reduction. The only thing that might change is if your deposit day falls on the actual holiday, it could come a day late due to bank processing, but that's it. You got this!

I've been through several holiday weeks on unemployment in NY and can confirm everything everyone's said here. One additional tip - if you're doing online job applications during holiday weeks, screenshot or save confirmation pages showing you submitted applications even if the "Thank you for applying" message mentions delayed responses due to holidays. This helps with your work search documentation. Also, don't forget that some job search activities like updating your resume, networking on LinkedIn, or researching companies still count toward your requirements even when businesses are closed. The NYS DOL really just wants to see that you're making genuine efforts to find work, and they understand that holidays can limit employer responsiveness. Keep doing what you've been doing and you'll be fine!

I'm new to unemployment benefits and this whole thread has been incredibly reassuring! I was panicking about Christmas week because I thought maybe there were special holiday rules or forms I needed to fill out. It's such a relief to know that I just continue with my normal weekly certification routine. One quick question though - if I'm visiting family out of town during part of the holiday week but still available to work (like I could come back for an interview if needed), do I need to mention the travel on my certification, or only if I'm completely unavailable for work? I want to make sure I'm being honest but also not creating unnecessary complications.

I've been collecting unemployment in NY since September and just went through my first holiday week during Thanksgiving - can confirm everything everyone is saying here is spot on! The process is exactly the same as any other week. What really helped me was setting a reminder on my phone to still file by Sunday even though it felt weird doing it during a holiday week. Also, for job searching during holidays, I found that while most companies weren't responding, I could still do productive things like cleaning up my LinkedIn profile, researching companies I wanted to apply to, and even reaching out to former colleagues for networking. All of that counts toward your work search requirements and honestly made me feel more productive than just sitting around waiting for the holidays to be over. Don't stress about it - the system is designed to handle holiday weeks without any special action needed from you!

Just wanted to add my experience as someone who's been on unemployment in NY for about 8 months now. I've gone through several holiday periods and can absolutely confirm what everyone is saying - treat it exactly like any other week! One thing that really helped me during my first holiday season on unemployment was creating a simple checklist to make sure I didn't forget anything during the busy holiday period: 1) File weekly claim by Sunday deadline, 2) Complete required job search activities (even if just updating resume or networking), 3) Keep documentation of all efforts, 4) Report any work or income as usual. The holidays can make everything feel different, but from the NYS DOL perspective, it's just another week. Your benefit amount stays the same, the filing deadline doesn't change, and the work search requirements are still there. The only real difference might be that some of your usual job search methods (like calling employers) might be less effective during holiday weeks, but that's totally normal and expected. Just document what you tried and you're good to go!

I'm so glad I found this thread! I just started collecting unemployment benefits last week and was really stressing about what to do during Christmas week. Reading everyone's experiences here has been incredibly reassuring. It sounds like the main takeaway is just to stick to my normal routine - file by Sunday, do my job search activities (even if responses are limited), and document everything as usual. I was overthinking it and worried there might be special holiday procedures I didn't know about. The checklist idea someone mentioned is really helpful too. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences - it's so much easier to navigate this when you hear from people who've actually been through it!