NYS Department of Labor - how many weeks of unemployment benefits can I receive?
I just got laid off from my construction job after 8 years and I'm trying to figure out how many weeks of unemployment I can get from NYS Department of Labor. My friend told me it's 26 weeks but I've seen different numbers online. Does it depend on how long I worked or how much I made? I made about $65,000 last year if that matters. Also wondering if there are any extensions available or if 26 weeks is the maximum. Has anyone gone through this recently?
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Elijah Knight
In New York, regular unemployment insurance provides up to 26 weeks of benefits. This is the standard duration and doesn't change based on your previous salary or years of work experience. Your benefit amount is calculated from your earnings, but the duration stays at 26 weeks maximum for regular UI claims.
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Sophia Carson
•Thanks! So even though I worked 8 years at the same company, I still only get 26 weeks? That seems short for someone who's been steadily employed.
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Brooklyn Foley
yeah 26 weeks is standard but sometimes there are extensions when unemployment is really high. during covid there were extra weeks but that's all gone now
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Jay Lincoln
The 26 weeks starts from when you file your first weekly claim, not from when you got laid off. Make sure you file right away because there's no retroactive benefits for weeks you don't claim. Also, if you find work and then get laid off again within your benefit year, you might be able to restart your claim with whatever weeks you had left.
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Jessica Suarez
•Wait, so if I used 10 weeks of unemployment earlier this year and then worked for 3 months before getting laid off again, I'd only have 16 weeks left? That doesn't seem right...
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Jay Lincoln
•That's correct if you're still within the same benefit year. Your benefit year runs 52 weeks from when you first filed. If you want a new 26-week entitlement, you'd need to establish a new claim with sufficient earnings since your last claim.
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Marcus Williams
I've been dealing with NYS Department of Labor for months trying to get through to someone about my claim status. If you need to talk to an actual person about your benefits duration or any other questions, I found this service called Claimyr at claimyr.com that helped me get through their phone system. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI showing how it works. Saved me hours of busy signals and holds.
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Lily Young
•How much does something like that cost? Seems like we shouldn't have to pay extra just to reach our own state agency.
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Marcus Williams
•I get the frustration, but for me it was worth it to finally get answers instead of wasting entire days trying to call. The regular phone system is just broken.
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Kennedy Morrison
Construction work is seasonal though, right? You might qualify for standby status if your employer expects to bring you back. That could affect how your benefits work.
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Sophia Carson
•No, this was a permanent layoff. The company lost a big contract and had to downsize. They're not bringing anyone back.
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Aisha Hussain
Sorry to hear about the layoff after 8 years - that's really tough. Just to clarify one thing about the 26 weeks: while that's the maximum for regular state unemployment, you should also check if you qualify for any federal programs or workforce development assistance given your construction background. Sometimes there are additional resources for workers in trades who've been with the same employer long-term. Your local One-Stop Career Center might have information about retraining programs or extended benefits you could be eligible for. Worth looking into while you're collecting your regular UI benefits.
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