How is unemployment measured by NYS Department of Labor - confused about eligibility calculations
I'm trying to understand how NYS Department of Labor actually measures unemployment for benefit eligibility. My work history is pretty complicated - I had part-time jobs, some contract work, and periods where I was looking but couldn't find anything. When I filed my initial claim, they asked for so much detail about my work search efforts and previous earnings. Does anyone know exactly what criteria they use to determine if someone qualifies as 'unemployed' for UI benefits? I'm worried I might not meet their requirements even though I genuinely need help finding stable work.
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Ethan Wilson
NYS Department of Labor uses specific criteria to measure unemployment for benefit purposes. You need to be totally or partially unemployed through no fault of your own, able and available to work, and actively seeking employment. They look at your base period earnings (usually the first 4 of the last 5 completed calendar quarters) to determine monetary eligibility. For the work search requirement, you typically need to make at least 3 job contacts per week and keep detailed records.
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Aisha Abdullah
•Thank you! That's really helpful. Do you know if gig work and contract jobs count toward the base period earnings? I had a mix of W-2 and 1099 work last year.
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NeonNova
the unemployment rate stuff is different from getting benefits. NYS Department of Labor measures unemployment rate for statistics but for UI claims they care more about your individual work history and current availability
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Yuki Tanaka
•Exactly right. The statistical unemployment rate and individual benefit eligibility are totally separate things. For your claim, they'll focus on whether you meet the monetary requirements and can prove you're actively looking for work.
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Carmen Diaz
ugh the whole system is so confusing! I spent hours trying to figure out my base period and whether my freelance income counted. ended up calling like 20 times before someone could explain it properly
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Andre Laurent
•If you're having trouble getting through to NYS Department of Labor by phone, I had success using a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com). They helped me reach an actual agent who could review my specific earnings history and explain exactly how they calculated my eligibility. There's a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI that shows how it works. Saved me so much frustration compared to calling the regular number.
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Emily Jackson
The work search requirement is what trips up a lot of people. NYS Department of Labor expects you to prove you're genuinely looking for work, not just collecting benefits. Keep detailed logs of every application, interview, and job fair you attend. They can audit your work search activities at any time.
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Aisha Abdullah
•Good point about keeping records. I've been tracking everything in a spreadsheet but wasn't sure if that was enough documentation.
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Liam Mendez
Just wanted to add that if you're partially employed (working reduced hours), you might still qualify for partial benefits. NYS Department of Labor has formulas for calculating partial payments based on your reduced earnings.
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