NYS Department of Labor unemployment spell duration - how long does mine count as continuous?
I've been trying to figure out exactly what NYS Department of Labor considers my unemployment spell to be. I was laid off from my warehouse job in October 2024 and have been filing weekly claims since then. Had a temp position for 3 weeks in December that ended, then back to filing again. Does that break up my unemployment spell or is it still considered one continuous period? I'm worried this might affect my benefit duration or if I need to reapply completely. The my.ny.gov portal doesn't really explain how they calculate these periods and I can't get through on the phone.
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Kelsey Chin
An unemployment spell is generally considered the entire period you're receiving benefits, even with short interruptions like temporary work. The 3-week temp job likely doesn't break your spell since you returned to the same claim. NYS Department of Labor tracks this automatically - you don't need to reapply unless you were off benefits for an extended period or your benefit year expired.
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Vincent Bimbach
•That's a relief! So my benefit year is still the same and I don't lose my remaining weeks? The temp work was under 4 weeks so sounds like I should be fine.
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Norah Quay
yeah i had something similar happen, worked a few weeks then got let go again. didnt have to restart anything just kept filing my weekly claims like normal. the unemployment spell thing is more for statistics than anything that affects your benefits
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Leo McDonald
If you're having trouble reaching someone at NYS Department of Labor by phone, I used a service called Claimyr that helped me get through when I had questions about my claim status. Check out claimyr.com - they have a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI that explains how it works. Saved me hours of trying to call myself.
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Vincent Bimbach
•Thanks for the suggestion! I'll check that out if I need to speak to someone directly about my specific situation.
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Jessica Nolan
Wait I'm confused about this too. I thought if you work any amount you have to start over completely? I've been avoiding taking any short term work because I was afraid of losing my benefits. How many weeks can you work before it resets everything?
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Kelsey Chin
•No, that's not correct. You report any work on your weekly claims and they adjust your benefits accordingly, but short-term work doesn't end your claim. You only need to reapply if your benefit year expires or you're off benefits for an extended period.
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Angelina Farar
The whole unemployment spell tracking is mostly for research purposes anyway. What matters for your benefits is your claim effective date and benefit year end date. As long as you're within your benefit year and have weeks remaining, temporary work won't disrupt your ongoing claim status.
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