What are the causes of unemployment - trying to understand my NYS Department of Labor eligibility
I'm trying to figure out if I qualify for unemployment benefits and the NYS Department of Labor website mentions different causes of unemployment but doesn't really explain them clearly. I lost my job last month when my company had layoffs due to budget cuts, but I'm wondering what other situations qualify people for UI benefits? I want to make sure I understand this correctly before I file my claim because I don't want to mess anything up with my application.
10 comments
Join the conversation
Rosie Harper
The main qualifying causes for NYS Department of Labor unemployment benefits are: job loss due to layoffs or company closure, reduction in hours that makes you eligible for partial benefits, being fired for reasons other than misconduct, and certain personal reasons like domestic violence or unsafe working conditions. Your layoff situation definitely qualifies - that's probably the most common reason people file for UI.
0 coins
Darren Brooks
•Thank you! That's reassuring. Do I need to prove it was a layoff and not that I was fired for cause?
0 coins
Elliott luviBorBatman
yeah layoffs are pretty straightforward for unemployment. other stuff that works: company goes out of business, seasonal work ending, getting fired but not for like stealing or anything serious. basically if you lose your job through no fault of your own the NYS Department of Labor will approve your claim
0 coins
Demi Hall
•What about if you quit? I thought you couldn't get unemployment if you quit your job voluntarily.
0 coins
Rosie Harper
•You generally can't get benefits if you quit, but there are some exceptions like quitting due to harassment, unsafe conditions, or significant changes to your job terms. The NYS Department of Labor evaluates these on a case-by-case basis during adjudication.
0 coins
Mateusius Townsend
I've been dealing with the unemployment system for months and honestly the causes don't matter as much as you think - what matters is whether the NYS Department of Labor can actually process your claim without getting stuck in adjudication hell. I've seen people with perfect layoff documentation sit in pending status for weeks while others with questionable circumstances get approved immediately. The system is totally inconsistent.
0 coins
Darren Brooks
•That's concerning... how long does adjudication usually take? I really need these benefits to come through.
0 coins
Kara Yoshida
If you're having trouble getting through to the NYS Department of Labor to check on your claim status or get clarification about your eligibility, I had good luck using claimyr.com - it's a service that helps you actually reach a real person at the unemployment office. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI that shows how it works. Saved me hours of busy signals and dropped calls when I needed to verify my job separation reason.
0 coins
Philip Cowan
•Never heard of that but might be worth trying. The NYS Department of Labor phone system is absolutely impossible to get through on.
0 coins
Caesar Grant
From what I understand the main categories are involuntary job loss (layoffs, firing without misconduct, business closure), reduced hours that qualify for partial benefits, and some voluntary separations with good cause. The NYS Department of Labor looks at each situation individually but your layoff should be pretty clear cut for approval.
0 coins