How long do you gotta work to get unemployment benefits in NY?
I'm confused about the work requirements for unemployment in New York. My cousin says you need to work 6 months but my friend thinks it's a year. I've been working part-time at two different jobs for about 8 months total but I'm not sure if that counts. Does anyone know how long you actually gotta work to qualify for unemployment benefits? I might lose one of my jobs soon and need to know if I can file a claim.
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Aisha Abdullah
It's not about how long you work, it's about how much you earn. In New York, you need to have earned at least $2,600 in your base period (which is usually the first 4 of the last 5 completed calendar quarters before you file). You also need to have worked in at least 2 quarters during that base period. So if you've been working 8 months at two jobs, you should probably qualify as long as you made enough money.
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Mateo Rodriguez
•Oh wow I had no idea it was about earnings not time! I definitely made more than $2,600 in the last year so that's good news. Thanks for explaining that.
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Ethan Wilson
wait so if I only worked 3 months but made like $5000 I still can't get unemployment?? this is so confusing
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Aisha Abdullah
•You need to work in at least 2 different quarters, so 3 months might not be enough depending on when you worked. The quarters are Jan-Mar, Apr-Jun, Jul-Sep, and Oct-Dec.
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NeonNova
The NYS Department of Labor has specific monetary and work requirements. You need sufficient wages in your base period AND you must have worked in employment covered by unemployment insurance. Part-time work from multiple employers definitely counts toward your wage credits. When you file, they'll calculate your benefit rate based on your highest-earning quarter during the base period.
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Mateo Rodriguez
•Good to know about the part-time work counting! Both my jobs pay into unemployment so I think I should be covered.
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Yuki Tanaka
I was in a similar situation last year and had trouble getting through to the NYS Department of Labor to verify my work history. The phone lines are always busy and their online system doesn't always show complete wage information from all employers. I ended up using Claimyr.com to get connected to an actual agent who could review my account properly. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI that shows how it works. Saved me weeks of trying to call on my own.
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Carmen Diaz
•Never heard of that service but might be worth trying if the regular phone number doesn't work.
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Andre Laurent
Just remember you also have to be able and available for work when you file your weekly claims, and you need to do job searches. The work requirement is just to qualify initially but there's ongoing requirements too.
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