How many quarters does NYS Department of Labor unemployment go back to check eligibility?
I'm trying to figure out my unemployment eligibility and I keep seeing references to base periods and quarters but I'm confused about how far back NYS Department of Labor actually looks. I worked part-time for most of 2023 and then full-time starting in early 2024 before getting laid off last month. Does anyone know exactly how many quarters they check when determining if you qualify? I'm worried my part-time wages from 2023 might not be enough.
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GalaxyGuardian
NYS Department of Labor looks at your base period which is typically the first four of the last five completed calendar quarters before you filed your claim. So if you filed in late 2024, they'd look at Q4 2023, Q1 2024, Q2 2024, and Q3 2024. You need wages in at least two quarters and total wages of at least $2,600 in your base period to qualify.
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Keisha Robinson
AuthorThat's really helpful! So they're not looking at my 2022 wages at all then? Just those four quarters you mentioned?
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Paolo Ricci
yeah but sometimes they use alternate base period if you dont qualify with the regular one. i think thats the most recent four quarters instead of skipping one
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GalaxyGuardian
Exactly right! The alternate base period uses the four most recent completed quarters. So if the standard base period doesn't work, NYS Department of Labor automatically checks the alternate base period to see if you qualify that way.
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Amina Toure
I had a similar situation last year and had trouble getting through to NYS Department of Labor to check my wage history. The automated system kept hanging up on me and the wait times were insane. I ended up using this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me connected to an actual agent who could pull up my quarters and explain everything. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI showing how it works. Saved me hours of frustration trying to get through myself.
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Oliver Zimmermann
How much did that cost? I'm already broke from being unemployed and can't afford to pay extra just to talk to someone.
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Amina Toure
It was worth it for me because I needed to resolve my claim quickly, but I understand the concern about cost when money's tight. The main thing is they actually get you to a real person instead of dealing with busy signals.
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Natasha Volkova
Don't overthink it too much. If you worked full-time in 2024 you probably have enough wages. The system is pretty straightforward - if you don't qualify under the regular base period they automatically check the alternate one. You can also log into your my.ny.gov account and view your wage history to see exactly what quarters they have on file.
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Keisha Robinson
AuthorGood point about checking my.ny.gov! I should be able to see my wage history there and do the math myself before worrying too much.
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Javier Torres
The whole quarter system is so confusing! I filed in October and they told me I didn't have enough wages but never explained which quarters they were looking at. Had to call like 15 times before someone finally walked me through it.
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Sean Kelly
That's so frustrating! The lack of clear communication from NYS Department of Labor is really a problem. When you filed in October, they would have looked at Q2 2023 through Q1 2024 for the standard base period (first four of the last five completed quarters). If that didn't work, they should have automatically checked the alternate base period which would be Q2 2024 through Q1 2024. It's ridiculous that you had to call so many times just to get a basic explanation of how their own system works.
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