How many pay stubs do you need for unemployment - NYS Department of Labor requirements
I'm getting ready to file for unemployment and want to make sure I have all the documentation ready. Does anyone know exactly how many pay stubs NYS Department of Labor requires when you apply? I've been at my current job for about 8 months and have all my pay stubs saved but not sure if I need just the most recent ones or if they want to see more. Also wondering if they need anything else besides pay stubs for income verification?
12 comments
Join the conversation
Ethan Taylor
You typically need your most recent 4-6 pay stubs when filing your initial claim with NYS Department of Labor. They use these to calculate your weekly benefit amount based on your earnings from the past 18 months. Make sure you also have your employer information handy including their business address and phone number, plus your start and end dates if you were terminated.
0 coins
Aisha Khan
•Thanks! Should I include pay stubs from any previous jobs I had this year or just my most recent employer?
0 coins
Yuki Ito
i think its 4 paystubs but honestly they might ask for more later during adjudication if there are any questions about your wages
0 coins
Carmen Lopez
NYS Department of Labor will pull most of your wage information from their quarterly wage reports that employers file, but having 4-6 recent pay stubs helps verify your earnings and speeds up processing. If you worked for multiple employers in the past 18 months, include stubs from all of them if possible. They may also request your W-2s or tax returns if there are discrepancies.
0 coins
AstroAdventurer
•What if you're paid weekly vs bi-weekly? Does that change how many stubs they want to see?
0 coins
Carmen Lopez
•Good question - if you're paid weekly they usually want 6-8 stubs to cover the same time period. The key is showing at least 4-6 weeks of recent earnings regardless of pay frequency.
0 coins
Andre Dupont
I had such a hard time getting through to NYS Department of Labor when I had questions about my wage documentation. Kept getting busy signals for weeks. Finally found this service called Claimyr at claimyr.com that actually got me connected to a real person at the unemployment office. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI showing how it works. Made the whole process so much easier than trying to call myself.
0 coins
Aisha Khan
•How does that work exactly? I'm worried I might need to talk to someone if they have questions about my pay stubs.
0 coins
Zoe Papanikolaou
THE WHOLE SYSTEM IS A MESS! They ask for pay stubs then half the time they can't even process them correctly. I submitted 6 pay stubs and they still put my claim in adjudication for 'wage verification' issues. Been waiting 5 weeks now with no answers!
0 coins
Jamal Wilson
•ugh that sounds awful, hope it gets resolved soon
0 coins
Margot Quinn
From my experience filing in NYS, you'll definitely want to have your most recent 4-6 pay stubs ready, but also keep any documentation from previous employers within the past 18 months just in case. The system calculates your benefit based on your highest earning quarter during that base period, so having comprehensive records helps avoid delays. I'd also recommend scanning everything and keeping digital copies since the online portal can be finicky with uploads sometimes. Don't stress too much about having the exact number - they'll tell you if they need additional documentation during the review process.
0 coins
Angelina Farar
•This is really helpful advice! I didn't think about keeping digital copies - that's a great tip since I've heard the upload system can be glitchy. Quick question: when you mention the "highest earning quarter," does that mean they look at which 3-month period I made the most money, or is it based on calendar quarters like Jan-Mar, Apr-Jun, etc.?
0 coins