How long do you have to be at a job to file unemployment with NYS Department of Labor?
I just started working at a retail store in March and unfortunately they had to let me go last week due to budget cuts. I'm wondering if I can even file for unemployment benefits since I was only there for about 8 months? Does NYS Department of Labor have a minimum time requirement for how long you need to work at a job before you can collect? I'm really stressed about this because I need the income while I look for something new. Also do they look at just my most recent job or all my work history? Any help would be appreciated!
10 comments
Join the conversation
Sofia Hernandez
NYS Department of Labor doesn't require a specific minimum time at one job. What matters is your total earnings during your base period, which is usually the first 4 of the last 5 completed calendar quarters before you file. You need to have earned at least $2,600 in your base period and worked in at least 2 quarters. They look at ALL your covered employment during that period, not just your most recent job.
0 coins
Dylan Campbell
•Thank you! That's a huge relief. I worked at another place before this job so hopefully my total earnings will qualify me.
0 coins
Dmitry Kuznetsov
yeah i was only at my last job for like 3 months but still got approved because i had worked other places before that. just make sure you report all your employers when you file your claim
0 coins
Ava Thompson
The key thing to understand is that unemployment benefits are based on your wage credits earned during the base period. Even if you worked somewhere for just a week, those wages count toward your eligibility as long as they were covered employment. When you file online at my.ny.gov, the system will automatically calculate your base period earnings from all your employers.
0 coins
Miguel Ramos
•Wait so if I worked multiple part-time jobs during that time period, do all of those wages get added together?
0 coins
Ava Thompson
•Exactly! All covered wages from all employers during your base period are combined to determine eligibility and benefit amount.
0 coins
Zainab Ibrahim
I've been trying to reach NYS Department of Labor for weeks about my claim status and can never get through on the phone. Finally found this service called Claimyr that actually gets you connected to an agent - check out claimyr.com. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI that shows how it works. Saved me so much frustration!
0 coins
StarSailor
•Interesting, I've been having the same problem getting through to anyone. How much does something like that cost?
0 coins
Zainab Ibrahim
•Worth looking into their site for details, but honestly after spending hours on hold getting nowhere, having someone actually answer was priceless.
0 coins
Connor O'Brien
Don't stress too much about the time requirement thing. I've seen people qualify with really short work periods as long as they had other employment history. The NYS Department of Labor system is pretty good at calculating everything automatically when you file.
0 coins