NYS Department of Labor eligibility - who can file unemployment benefits in 2025?
I'm trying to figure out if I qualify to file for unemployment with NYS Department of Labor. I've been working part-time for the last 8 months at a retail job but my hours got cut to almost nothing. My manager said I might be eligible but I'm not sure about the requirements. I also had a short-term contract job earlier last year. Does anyone know who can actually file for unemployment benefits? I don't want to waste time applying if I don't meet the criteria.
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Paolo Bianchi
You can file for unemployment in New York if you meet the base period earnings requirements and are unemployed through no fault of your own. For your situation with reduced hours, you might qualify for partial unemployment benefits. The NYS Department of Labor looks at your earnings in the first four of the last five completed calendar quarters before you file. You need to have earned at least $2,600 in your highest earning quarter and total base period wages of at least 1.5 times your high quarter amount.
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Keisha Thompson
•Thanks! How do I know what my base period earnings are? Is there a way to check this before I file?
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Yara Assad
i filed when my restaurant cut my shifts from 35 hours to 10 hours a week and got approved for partial benefits, you should definitely try
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Olivia Clark
Generally eligible workers include: employees who lost their job through layoffs or business closure, workers whose hours were significantly reduced, people who quit for specific good cause reasons like unsafe working conditions, and independent contractors in certain situations. You'll need to be able and available to work and actively seeking employment. The work search requirement is currently 3 job contacts per week.
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Javier Morales
•Wait, independent contractors can file? I thought only regular employees could get unemployment benefits.
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Olivia Clark
•Some independent contractors became eligible during the pandemic, but those special programs ended. Now it depends on whether you're classified as an employee vs. true independent contractor under NYS Department of Labor guidelines.
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Natasha Petrov
I've been trying to call NYS Department of Labor for weeks to ask about my eligibility but can never get through! The phone lines are always busy and when I do get in the queue, I get disconnected after waiting for hours. Has anyone found a way to actually talk to someone there?
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Connor O'Brien
•I had the same problem until I found this service called Claimyr that helps you get through to NYS Department of Labor agents. Check out claimyr.com - they have a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI that shows how it works. It saved me so much frustration trying to reach someone about my claim status.
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Amina Diallo
just apply anyway, worst they can say is no and then you know for sure instead of wondering about it
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Paolo Bianchi
To answer your original question more specifically - you'll need to file online through the NYS Department of Labor website. Make sure you have your Social Security number, employment history for the last 18 months including employer names and addresses, and your most recent pay stub. If you worked in other states, you might need to file in the state where you earned the most wages during your base period.
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Keisha Thompson
•Perfect, this gives me a good starting point. I'll gather my employment records and file online. Thanks everyone for the help!
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