How many quarters do you have to work to get unemployment benefits in NY?
I'm trying to figure out if I qualify for unemployment benefits through NYS Department of Labor. I've been working part-time jobs for the past year and a half, switching between a few different employers. Some weeks I worked 15 hours, other weeks maybe 25-30 hours. I'm not sure if I earned enough or worked long enough to qualify. Does anyone know exactly how many quarters you need to work to get unemployment in New York? And do part-time hours count the same as full-time? I'm really confused about the whole base period thing they mention on the website.
8 comments
Join the conversation
Diego Vargas
You need to have worked in at least 2 of the 4 quarters in your base period, and you must have earned at least $2,600 in one of those quarters. Your total wages in the base period must be at least 1.5 times your highest quarter earnings. The base period is typically the first 4 of the last 5 completed calendar quarters before you file your claim. Part-time work absolutely counts as long as you meet the wage requirements.
0 coins
Chloe Anderson
AuthorThanks! That's really helpful. So if I made $3,000 in my best quarter, I'd need at least $4,500 total across all four quarters?
0 coins
CosmicCruiser
Yeah the quarter thing tripped me up too when I first applied. It's not about how many hours you worked, it's about how much you earned. I worked like 3 different part time jobs last year and still qualified.
0 coins
Anastasia Fedorov
If you're having trouble getting through to NYS Department of Labor to verify your wage history, I had good luck using Claimyr (claimyr.com). They help you get through to an actual person instead of waiting on hold forever. There's a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI that shows how it works. Really helped me get my base period wages clarified when my claim was stuck.
0 coins
Sean Doyle
Did that actually work for you? I've been trying to call for weeks and keep getting disconnected.
0 coins
Zara Rashid
just file and see what happens, worst they can do is say no
0 coins
Brooklyn Foley
The wage requirements can definitely be confusing! Just to add some clarity - when they calculate your base period, they look at complete calendar quarters only. So if you're filing in December 2024, your base period would typically be July 2023 through June 2024. Make sure to keep track of all your W-2s and pay stubs from different employers during that time period, since they all count toward your total wages. The NYS DOL website has a benefit calculator that can help you estimate if you qualify before you actually file your claim.
0 coins
Freya Nielsen
Just wanted to share my experience - I was in a similar boat with multiple part-time jobs and irregular hours. What really helped me was requesting a wage transcript from the Social Security Administration before filing my claim. It shows all your reported wages by quarter and employer, so you can see exactly what NYS DOL will be looking at when they calculate your base period. You can request it online at ssa.gov and it's free. Having that in hand made the whole process much smoother because I knew ahead of time whether I'd meet the requirements. Also, don't forget that some employers might have reported your wages under slightly different names or business entities, so double-check everything matches up!
0 coins