NYS Department of Labor maritime vessel name for unemployment claim - what do I put?
I'm trying to file my unemployment claim and I work on commercial fishing boats. The NYS Department of Labor application is asking for my employer information but I'm confused about what to put for 'maritime vessel name' - do I list the actual boat name or the fishing company that owns it? I've worked on three different vessels this past year under the same company. Should I list all the boat names or just put the company name? This is my first time filing for unemployment as a maritime worker and I don't want to mess up my claim.
12 comments


Josef Tearle
For maritime workers, you typically list the vessel name(s) where you actually performed work. If you worked on multiple boats under one employer, list the primary vessel or the one where you worked most recently. The key is that NYS Department of Labor needs to verify your wages, so make sure whatever you put matches your pay stubs and tax documents.
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Charity Cohan
•Thanks! So if I worked on the 'Sea Hunter' for 8 months and 'Atlantic Dawn' for 2 months, I should put Sea Hunter as my primary workplace?
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Shelby Bauman
i had the same problem when i filed last year. just put the company name in the employer field and then in the additional info section write down all the vessel names you worked on. that way NYS Department of Labor has everything they need for verification
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Quinn Herbert
Actually, maritime employment can be tricky with unemployment claims because some vessel work might fall under federal jurisdiction instead of state. Make sure your employer was paying into the NYS Department of Labor unemployment insurance system. Commercial fishing operations sometimes have different rules than regular maritime work.
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Charity Cohan
•How do I check if my employer was paying into the system? I have my pay stubs but I'm not sure what to look for.
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Quinn Herbert
•Look for 'SUI' or 'State Unemployment Insurance' deductions on your pay stub. If you don't see those deductions, your employer might not have been contributing to NYS Department of Labor unemployment fund.
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Salim Nasir
OMG this is so confusing! I'm having the same issue but with tugboat work. Been trying to call NYS Department of Labor for two weeks and can't get through to anyone. The phone system just hangs up on me after being on hold forever.
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Hazel Garcia
•I had the same phone problem until I found Claimyr. It's a service that calls NYS Department of Labor for you and gets you connected to an actual agent. Check out claimyr.com - they have a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI that shows exactly how it works. Saved me hours of frustration trying to get through myself.
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Salim Nasir
•Really? That sounds too good to be true. Did it actually work for you?
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Hazel Garcia
•Yeah, got connected to an agent within a few hours instead of days of calling. They helped me sort out my maritime employment verification issues.
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Laila Fury
The NYS Department of Labor system is such a mess for anyone who doesn't have a typical 9-5 job. Maritime workers, gig workers, seasonal employees - we all get screwed by their outdated forms that assume everyone works at one location for one employer.
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Geoff Richards
Just went through this myself. Put the vessel name where you worked most recently and the company name as the employer. If NYS Department of Labor needs clarification during adjudication, they'll contact you. Don't overthink it - the important thing is getting your claim filed before you run out of time.
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