How many weeks do you have to work before you can collect unemployment benefits with NYS Department of Labor?

It's not actually about how many weeks you've worked at your current job - it's about your total earnings during what's called your 'base period.' For NYS Department of Labor, you need to have earned at least $2,600 during your base period AND worked in at least 2 different calendar quarters. Your base period is typically the first 4 of the last 5 completed calendar quarters before you file your claim.

Yeah the person above is right about the base period thing. I had a similar situation last year where I was worried about not working long enough at my new job, but it turned out my previous job earnings carried me through. You can also sometimes use an alternate base period if the regular one doesn't work out for you.

i think you need like 20 weeks or something but im not sure about the exact number. the nys department of labor website probably has all the details

I've been trying to get through to NYS Department of Labor for weeks to ask similar questions about my own situation. Their phone lines are always busy and when you do get through they hang up on you! It's so frustrating trying to get answers about these requirements. I found this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that actually helps you get through to unemployment agents. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI showing how it works. Might be worth checking out if you need to speak to someone directly about your specific situation.

The whole system is so unnecessarily complicated! Why can't they just have a simple rule like 'work X weeks and you qualify'? Instead we get this confusing base period calculation that nobody understands. And don't even get me started on trying to reach anyone at NYS Department of Labor for clarification.

To clarify for the original poster - based on what you've described with 2 years at your previous job and 6 weeks at your current job, you would almost certainly qualify for unemployment benefits if you were laid off. Your previous job earnings would definitely count toward your base period requirements. The key is having sufficient total earnings and having worked in multiple quarters, which you clearly have.

Just wanted to add some additional info that might be helpful - if you do end up needing to file for unemployment, make sure you have all your wage information ready from both jobs. NYS DOL will need your W-2s or pay stubs to verify your earnings during the base period. Also, since you mentioned potential layoffs, know that if you're laid off through no fault of your own, you should definitely qualify based on your work history. The 3-month gap between jobs won't hurt you as long as your total earnings meet the threshold. Keep documentation of everything just in case!