How long you gotta work to get unemployment benefits in NY?
hey everyone, probably a dumb question but im confused about the work requirements. i worked part time at a restaurant for about 6 months last year then got laid off in january. my friend said i might not qualify for unemployment because i didnt work long enough? is there like a minimum time you have to work to get benefits from NYS Department of Labor? i tried looking on their website but its confusing as hell.
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Kristian Bishop
It's not really about how long you worked, but about how much you earned during your base period. NYS Department of Labor looks at your wages from the first four of the last five completed calendar quarters before you filed. You need to have earned at least $2,600 in wages during your base period, with at least $1,300 in your highest quarter. So if you worked 6 months and earned decent wages, you might qualify.
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Eva St. Cyr
•ok so its about money not time? that makes more sense i guess. i was making like $15/hour working maybe 25-30 hours a week so i probably made enough then
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Kaitlyn Otto
Wait, I'm confused too. I thought you had to work for a full year to get unemployment? I've been working my current job for 8 months and I'm worried if I get laid off I won't qualify. This is really stressing me out because my company has been talking about layoffs.
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Kristian Bishop
•No, you don't need to work a full year. It's all about meeting the wage requirements during your base period. If you've been working 8 months at decent wages, you should be fine. The NYS Department of Labor website has a benefit calculator you can use to estimate your eligibility.
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Axel Far
The key thing to understand is that NYS unemployment uses a 'base period' system. Your base period is typically the first four of the last five completed calendar quarters. For example, if you file in March 2025, your base period would be October 2023 through September 2024. You need sufficient wages during that period - specifically $2,600 total with at least $1,300 in your highest quarter. There's also an alternate base period if you don't qualify under the standard one.
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Jasmine Hernandez
•This is so complicated! Why can't they just say 'work X months and you qualify'? I've been trying to figure this out for my situation and I keep getting more confused about these quarters and base periods.
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Luis Johnson
•I had a nightmare trying to get through to NYS Department of Labor to ask about my base period eligibility. Spent hours on hold just to get disconnected. Finally used Claimyr (claimyr.com) to get connected to an actual agent who explained my situation in like 10 minutes. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI that shows how it works. Saved me so much hassle.
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Ellie Kim
i worked at like 3 different jobs last year for short periods does that count towards the wage requirement or does it have to be all from one job?
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Kristian Bishop
•All your jobs count! NYS Department of Labor looks at your total wages from all employers during the base period. So if you worked multiple part-time jobs or changed jobs during that time, all those wages get added together to determine if you meet the $2,600 minimum.
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Fiona Sand
Same boat here, worked retail for about 5 months then restaurant work for 3 months before getting let go. Wasn't sure if the short job periods would hurt me but sounds like as long as the total wages add up I should be okay?
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Lucas Notre-Dame
•Yeah exactly! The duration at each job doesn't matter - it's all about your total earnings during the base period. Since you worked 8 months total between retail and restaurant, you probably earned enough to meet the requirements. Just make sure you have all your pay stubs or W-2s when you apply so they can calculate your wages from both jobs.
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