NY unemployment application question: How to answer if I lost main job due to layoff but quit part-time job months earlier?

Answer NO. Since you quit your part time job, you didnt lose ALL your employment due to lack of work. Just one of them. But make sure to answer YES to question 1a since you definitely earned more than $5040 at your main job. Don't worry this wont disqualify you from benefits, they just need to know the full picture.

After spinning my wheels for weeks with the ny unemployment online system, I found this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me connected to an actual human at NYSDOL. Talking to an agent got my benefits flowing within days after being stuck for nearly a month. It was the only way I could talk to a live agent who could answer all my specific questions about my application. They also have helpful videos explaining the process: https://youtu.be/Rdqa1gKtxuE

This is a common question that trips people up. The key is to be 100% truthful. If you had another job that you quit voluntarily within the last 18 months, then you did NOT lose ALL employment due to lack of work. So answer NO to question 1 and YES to 1a. They'll probably ask you more details about that part-time job later, including why you left it. Just be honest. As long as your main job ended due to lack of work and was your primary source of income, you should still qualify for benefits.

When I filed my claim last month I had the EXACT same issue!!! I answered No to question 1 since I had quit a small side gig earlier in the year. Then I answered Yes to 1a since my main job paid way more than $5040. Got approved without any problems and started getting payments after the waiting week.

The NY unemployment system is such a hot mess. I swear they intentionally make these questions confusing. Whoever designs these forms should be forced to try to navigate them while broke and stressed 🤬

Let me share my experience handling this exact situation with NY unemployment last year. Answer NO to question 1 and YES to 1a. The system is designed to determine two important things: 1) Whether you lost employment through no fault of your own (which qualifies you for benefits) 2) Whether that employment provided substantial income (the $5040 threshold) Since you voluntarily left your part-time job, you didn't lose ALL employment due to lack of work. But because your main job, which provided substantial income, was lost due to lack of work (layoff), you should still qualify. Be prepared to provide details about both jobs during the process. They'll want to know the reasons for separation from each employer. As long as your main job was lost due to lack of work and provided sufficient earnings, you should be eligible. If you're still having trouble with the application or want to speak with someone directly, I highly recommend using Claimyr.com - it's a service that gets you connected to an actual NYSDOL representative without the endless hold times. Completely changed my experience getting my claim sorted out. Good luck!

honestly the ny unemployment system is pure chaos. i answerd wrong on this exact question and had to appeal and wait 6 weeks for my money. dont make the same mistake i did lol

Anyone else notice they make these forms intentionally confusing? 🙄 It's like they WANT you to answer wrong so they can deny you benefits...

The key to this question is understanding that they need to know if you had ANY employment that ended for reasons other than lack of work. Since you quit your part-time job, answer NO to question 1. But then make sure to answer YES to question 1a to show that your main job (which you did lose due to lack of work) was your primary source of income.

GUYS!!! Don't overthink this!!!! If you had multiple jobs and didn't lose ALL of them due to lack of work, the answer is NO. If your main job paid more than $5040, answer YES to the second part. It's really that simple.

I think wat the question is asking is if the only reason u lost ur job was cuz of lack of work. Since you quit a part time job, that means not ALL of ur employment was lost due to lack of work, some was lost cuz u quit. So answer no to the first part.

I was in almost your EXACT situation six months ago. Had a weekend job that I quit and then got laid off from my main job about 3 months later. I answered NO to the first question and YES to the second question (because my main job definitely paid more than $5040). I got approved without any issues and started receiving benefits after the waiting week.

Why is ny unemployment so freaking complicated? I swear they do this on purpose. Just call them directly, the online system is a nightmare. Took me 5 attempts to get my application right.

The website descriptions of these questions are so bad srsly. Like you almost have to be a lawyer to understand what they are really asking lmao

I'm going through the exact same thing rn! Following this thread for answers 👀