NYS Department of Labor unemployment claim after minimum wage job loss - qualification questions
I lost my minimum wage job at a grocery store last month when they reduced hours and let go of several part-timers. I was making $15/hour for about 8 months before this happened. Now I'm trying to figure out if I qualify for unemployment benefits through NYS Department of Labor. The online calculator seems confusing and I'm not sure if my earnings are high enough. Has anyone else been in this situation with a minimum wage job? What was your weekly benefit amount like?
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Kayla Morgan
You should definitely qualify if you worked 8 months at $15/hour. NYS Department of Labor looks at your earnings over the base period, which is usually the first 4 of the last 5 completed quarters. Even at minimum wage, if you worked consistently, you likely earned enough to establish a claim. Your weekly benefit will be about half your average weekly wage, but there's a minimum benefit amount too.
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Saleem Vaziri
•That's reassuring! I was worried the amount wouldn't be worth the hassle of filing weekly claims.
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James Maki
I was in almost the exact same situation last year - minimum wage retail job, got laid off when they cut staff. My weekly benefit was around $180 which wasn't much but it definitely helped with rent. The key thing is to file your claim as soon as possible because there's a waiting week and you want to get that started. Also make sure you keep track of your job search activities for the weekly certifications.
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Jasmine Hancock
•Did you have any trouble with the job search requirements? I heard they're pretty strict about documenting everything.
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James Maki
•Yeah you need to do 3 job search activities per week and keep detailed records. I used a simple spreadsheet with company names, dates, and what I did (applied online, called, etc.).
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Cole Roush
ugh the whole process is such a pain especially when you're already stressed about money. i filed after losing my minimum wage job and it took forever to get approved, like 3 weeks of adjudication or something. but definitely file anyway because even the minimum benefit helps
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Saleem Vaziri
•Three weeks?? That's scary. Did they tell you why it took so long?
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Scarlett Forster
If you're having trouble getting through to NYS Department of Labor to check your claim status or ask questions, I had good luck using a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com). They help you get connected to an actual agent instead of waiting on hold forever. There's a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI that shows how it works. Really saved me a lot of frustration when my claim was stuck in adjudication.
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Arnav Bengali
•never heard of that but might be worth trying, the phone lines are impossible
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Jasmine Hancock
Just want to add that even though minimum wage jobs might not give you a huge weekly benefit, you should still file. Every little bit helps when you're looking for work. Plus if you find part-time work while collecting, you can sometimes still get partial benefits depending on how much you earn.
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