How long can you go on unemployment benefits in NYS - what's the maximum duration?

In New York, regular unemployment insurance (UI) benefits last for a maximum of 26 weeks. This is your base period of coverage. You don't need to do anything special to get the full 26 weeks - just keep filing your weekly claims and meeting the job search requirements. The NYS Department of Labor will automatically continue your benefits as long as you remain eligible and don't find employment.

The 26 weeks start from your benefit year begin date, which is typically the Sunday of the week you first filed your claim. Keep in mind you still need to meet all the ongoing requirements - actively searching for work, being able and available for work, and reporting any income from part-time work. If you violate any of these requirements, your benefits can be suspended even if you haven't used up all 26 weeks.

i been on unemployment twice and both times got the full 26 weeks. just make sure you do the job search stuff they require or they'll cut you off. also sometimes there's extended benefits during bad economic times but that's rare

You need to make at least 3 job contacts per week and keep a detailed log of your job search activities. This includes company names, contact information, dates, and how you applied. The NYS Department of Labor can audit your job search at any time, so definitely start keeping better records. You can maintain your log online through the my.ny.gov portal or keep paper records.

The 26 week thing is standard but honestly the whole system is a mess. I've seen people get their benefits cut off for stupid reasons even when they were doing everything right. The NYS Department of Labor acts like they're doing you a favor when it's literally insurance you paid into while working. Just be prepared for them to make it difficult even though you're entitled to those weeks.

wait so after 26 weeks thats it?? what if the economy is bad and there really arent jobs available? seems unfair to just cut people off

After your regular 26 weeks, there's normally no automatic extension. However, during periods of high unemployment, Congress sometimes authorizes extended benefit programs that can add additional weeks. These are rare and depend on both state and federal unemployment rates meeting specific thresholds. Right now there are no extended programs active in New York.

I'm in a similar situation - got laid off from my retail job about 3 weeks ago and just started getting benefits. Reading through all this is really helpful. One thing I'm wondering about is whether those 26 weeks get affected if you work part-time while collecting? Like if I pick up some gig work or temporary shifts, does that pause the clock on my benefit weeks or do they keep counting down? I want to take on some small jobs to help make ends meet but don't want to mess up my unemployment timeline.

Just to add some clarity on the extended benefits question - New York does participate in the federal Extended Benefits (EB) program, but it only triggers when the state's unemployment rate hits certain levels (usually above 6.5% for 13 weeks). During COVID we had programs like PEUC and PUA that added many more weeks, but those were special pandemic programs that have ended. The trigger rates for EB are calculated monthly, so theoretically it could activate again if unemployment gets high enough, but as Emma mentioned, there are currently no extensions available. Your best bet is to use those 26 weeks wisely and really focus on that job search!