How long do you have to work somewhere to get NYS Department of Labor unemployment benefits?

The work requirement isn't about how long you worked at your most recent job - it's about your total earnings during what NYS Department of Labor calls your 'base period.' You need to have earned at least $2,600 in covered employment during your base period, which is usually the first 4 of the last 5 completed calendar quarters before you file. So your previous job from a year ago would definitely count toward this requirement.

Yeah but there's also the reason you lose your job. If you get fired for misconduct or quit without good cause, NYS Department of Labor will disqualify you even if you meet the earnings requirement. Being let go during probation usually isn't considered misconduct though, unless you did something really bad.

In New York, it's not about how long you work at one specific job - it's about your total earnings during what's called the 'base period.' The NYS Department of Labor looks at the first four of the last five completed calendar quarters before you file your claim. You need to have earned at least $2,400 in one quarter AND have total base period wages of at least 1.5 times your highest quarter earnings. So if you worked somewhere a year ago and earned enough, that could still count toward your eligibility.

I had this exact situation happen to me last year. Got let go after 2 months at a new job, was freaking out about unemployment. Turns out I qualified no problem because of my earnings from my previous job. The hardest part was actually getting through to someone at NYS Department of Labor to explain my situation. Kept getting busy signals and dropped calls for weeks. Finally used this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that helped me get connected to an actual agent. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI showing how it works. Made the whole process so much easier.

Wait so if I quit my job can I still get unemployment if I worked there long enough?

yeah the base period thing is confusing but basically if you worked full time for like 3-4 months total in the past year and a quarter you should be good. doesnt matter if it was all at one job or multiple jobs

You can check your wage history by logging into your my.ny.gov account and looking at your NYS Department of Labor wage record. This will show you exactly what employers reported for each quarter. Keep in mind that if you don't qualify under the regular base period, NYS Department of Labor also has an 'alternate base period' that uses the last four completed quarters instead of the first four of the last five. Sometimes people qualify under the alternate period when they don't under the regular one.

I was in a similar situation last year where I was worried about the work requirement. Turns out I qualified even though I'd only been at my most recent job for about 2 months when I got laid off. The key is having those base period wages like others mentioned. One thing that really helped me was using a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) when I needed to talk to someone at NYS Department of Labor about my eligibility. They have this video demo (https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI) that shows how it works - basically they help you get through to an actual agent instead of waiting on hold forever. Made the whole process so much less stressful.

ugh the whole unemployment system is such a nightmare. I've been fighting with them for months over a stupid adjudication issue and they keep giving me the runaround. Good luck actually getting anyone to answer your questions!

JUST TO ADD - make sure you apply right away if you do lose your job, even if you're not 100% sure you qualify. The NYS Department of Labor will determine your eligibility and you don't want to miss out on any potential benefits while you're figuring it out. The worst they can say is no, but at least you'll know for sure.

Just want to add my experience here - I was in almost the exact same situation as you Sean! Got let go after about 8 weeks at a new job and was panicking about whether I'd qualify for unemployment. Turns out my previous job from about 14 months earlier still counted toward my base period earnings. The NYS Department of Labor rep I finally got through to explained that as long as you meet those earnings thresholds during the base period quarters, the length of time at your most recent job doesn't matter. The tricky part was actually getting someone on the phone to walk through my specific situation - took me weeks of busy signals and dropped calls. But once I got clarity on my eligibility, the actual application process was pretty straightforward. Don't stress too much about the 6 weeks - focus on whether your total earnings during the base period meet the requirements.