NYS Department of Labor work requirement - how long do you have to work at a job before you can collect unemployment?
Just started a new job about 6 weeks ago and I'm wondering about the work requirements if things don't work out. How long do you actually have to work at a job in New York before you're eligible for unemployment benefits? I've heard different things from coworkers - some say 3 months, others say you need to work a full year. Does NYS Department of Labor have specific rules about this? I want to understand my options since this is a probationary period and I'm not sure if this position is going to be a good fit.
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Romeo Quest
It's not about how long you work at one specific job - it's about your total earnings over what NYS Department of Labor calls the 'base period.' You need to have earned wages in at least two quarters of your base period and meet the minimum earnings requirement. The base period is typically the first four of the last five completed calendar quarters before you file your claim.
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Lydia Santiago
AuthorSo even if I only worked 6 weeks at this current job, my previous work history would count toward the base period requirements?
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Val Rossi
yeah the minimum is like $2,600 in your highest quarter and total earnings of at least $3,900 during the base period. but you also have to be unemployed through no fault of your own - if you quit without good cause you might not qualify
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Eve Freeman
I had a similar situation last year where I was worried about the work requirement. What matters is your earnings history, not just your current job. If you've worked before this 6-week position, that previous work counts toward your base period. The NYS Department of Labor looks at your total wage credits, not individual job duration. You can actually check your wage credits online through your my.ny.gov account.
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Clarissa Flair
THIS! I wish more people knew about checking their wage credits online. Saved me so much confusion when I filed my claim.
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Caden Turner
Wait I'm confused about the base period thing. If I just started working again after being unemployed for 8 months, would my old job from over a year ago still count? The NYS Department of Labor website is so confusing with all the quarters and dates.
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Romeo Quest
The base period looks at the first four of the last five completed calendar quarters. So if you file in 2025, it would typically look at Q1 2024 through Q4 2024. Your job from over a year ago might still fall within that timeframe depending on when exactly you file.
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McKenzie Shade
If you're having trouble getting through to NYS Department of Labor to check your eligibility, I found this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that helped me get connected to an actual agent without waiting on hold forever. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI that shows how it works. I was able to get my questions answered about wage credits and base period calculations in like 20 minutes instead of spending hours trying to call.
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Harmony Love
Interesting, never heard of that before. Did they charge you for the service?
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McKenzie Shade
They do charge but it was worth it for me since I couldn't get through the regular way and needed answers quickly about my claim eligibility.
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Harmony Love
The system is so backwards. You can work somewhere for years and get laid off and still have to jump through hoops to prove you're eligible. Meanwhile someone who barely worked can sometimes qualify if they hit the right quarters. Makes no sense.
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Joy Olmedo
The confusion is totally understandable - I went through the same thing when I was between jobs. The key thing to remember is that NYS looks at your entire work history during that base period, not just your current job. So @Lydia Santiago, your 6 weeks at the new job plus any previous work you had in the last 5 quarters would all count toward meeting those wage requirements. I'd recommend logging into your my.ny.gov account like Eve mentioned to see your actual wage credits - that'll give you a clear picture of where you stand eligibility-wise before you need to make any decisions about the job fit.
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Amara Oluwaseyi
@Joy Olmedo makes a great point about checking the my.ny.gov account first. I m'in a similar boat as @Lydia Santiago - started a new position recently and wasn t sure'how the eligibility worked. It s reassuring'to know that previous work history counts toward the base period requirements. The whole quarters system seemed really confusing at first, but it sounds like as long as you ve been'working consistently over the past year or so, you re probably'covered. Thanks everyone for breaking this down!
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Malik Johnson
I've been through a similar situation where I wasn't sure about my eligibility after starting a new job. What really helped me was calling the NYS Department of Labor directly to go over my specific work history and wage credits. They can tell you exactly where you stand based on your individual circumstances. The representatives are usually pretty helpful once you get through - though I know that can be the challenging part! They can also explain how your previous employment would factor into the base period calculation, which varies depending on when exactly you file. It's worth having that conversation before you make any decisions about the job, especially since you're still in the probationary period where things could go either way.
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Yara Haddad
@Malik Johnson that s'solid advice about calling directly. I m'actually in a really similar position to @Lydia Santiago - been at my current job for about 2 months now and the fit isn t great.'It s helpful'to know that they can walk you through your specific situation over the phone. Did you find the wait times reasonable when you called, or did you have to try multiple times to get through? I ve been'hesitant to call because I ve heard'horror stories about being on hold forever, but it sounds like it might be worth the effort to get personalized info about my wage credits and eligibility before making any moves.
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Giovanni Rossi
@Yara Haddad I had mixed experiences with the wait times - sometimes I got through in 15-20 minutes, other times it took over an hour. I found calling right when they open at 8am gave me the best luck. If the wait is really long, you might also want to check out that Claimyr service @McKenzie Shade mentioned earlier - I didn t use'it myself but sounds like it could save time if you re in'a hurry to get answers. Either way, having that conversation before making any job decisions is definitely worth it, especially when you re still'in that 2-month window where things could change.
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