What are the eligibility requirements for unemployment insurance with NYS Department of Labor?
I just got laid off from my job at a manufacturing plant in Buffalo after working there for 8 months. This is my first time dealing with unemployment so I'm totally confused about whether I even qualify. I've been reading the NYS Department of Labor website but honestly it's pretty overwhelming with all the different requirements. Can someone break down what the actual eligibility requirements are for unemployment insurance in New York? I'm worried I might not qualify since I haven't been working super long at this job, even though I had other jobs before this one. Also not sure if there are any weird rules about why you lost your job that would disqualify you.
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Aiden Chen
The basic eligibility requirements for NYS unemployment insurance are: 1) You must have earned enough wages during your base period (usually the first 4 of the last 5 completed calendar quarters), 2) You must be totally or partially unemployed through no fault of your own, 3) You must be physically able to work and available for work, 4) You must be actively seeking work. For the wage requirement, you need at least $2,600 in one quarter of your base period OR total wages of at least 1.5 times your highest quarter earnings. Since you worked 8 months, you should definitely meet the wage requirements if you combine that with your previous jobs.
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Sophia Bennett
•Thanks! That's really helpful. So they look at multiple jobs when calculating the wage requirement? I was worried they'd only count my most recent job.
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Zoey Bianchi
Also important - being laid off definitely qualifies as 'no fault of your own' so you don't need to worry about that part. If you were fired for misconduct or quit without good cause, that's when you'd have problems. But layoffs are exactly what unemployment insurance is designed for. Make sure when you file your claim you're honest about the reason for separation - the NYS Department of Labor will verify with your employer anyway.
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Christopher Morgan
•wait what counts as misconduct though?? i'm worried about some stuff that happened at my last job
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Zoey Bianchi
•Misconduct usually means willful violations of company policy, repeated tardiness after warnings, insubordination, things like that. Minor issues or one-time mistakes typically don't count as misconduct.
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Aurora St.Pierre
Just went through this whole process myself. The hardest part isn't the initial eligibility - it's staying eligible week by week. You have to file your weekly claim every week and certify that you're looking for work. In NY you need to make at least 3 job search contacts per week and keep a log of them. The NYS Department of Labor can ask to see your job search log at any time so definitely keep good records.
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Sophia Bennett
•Good to know about the job search requirements. Do online applications count as contacts or do you need to do something more?
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Aurora St.Pierre
•Online applications definitely count! So do job fairs, networking events, contacting employers directly. Just make sure you record the date, employer name, position, and method of contact.
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Grace Johnson
One thing that's super frustrating is when your claim gets stuck in adjudication because the NYS Department of Labor wants to verify your separation reason. This happened to me and I couldn't get through to anyone on the phone for weeks. Finally found this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that helps you actually reach a live person at NYS Department of Labor. They have this video demo (https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI) that shows how it works. Basically they handle all the calling and waiting so you don't have to sit on hold for hours just to get hung up on.
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Jayden Reed
•Interesting, never heard of that before. Did it actually work for you?
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Grace Johnson
•Yeah it worked great. Got connected to an actual NYS Department of Labor rep who cleared up my adjudication issue in like 10 minutes. Way better than trying to call myself.
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Nora Brooks
ugh the whole system is such a pain. i've been dealing with the nys department of labor for months and they keep asking for more documentation. like how many times do i have to prove i was laid off?? the employer already confirmed it but they keep saying they need to review my case. makes no sense
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Aiden Chen
•Unfortunately the adjudication process can take several weeks, especially if there are any questions about your separation. It's frustrating but they have to verify everything to prevent fraud. Hang in there!
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Eli Wang
Same boat here! Got laid off last month and just started my claim. The online system is pretty straightforward once you figure it out.
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Kendrick Webb
@Sophia Bennett - You should be fine with 8 months of work plus your previous jobs! Just make sure you have all your employment history ready when you file. The NYS system will calculate your base period wages automatically across all your jobs. One tip: file your claim as soon as possible since there's a waiting week before benefits start, and you can't get paid for any weeks you don't file. Also, if you worked in other states before New York, you might need to file a combined wage claim to include those earnings. The sooner you start the process, the sooner you'll know exactly what your weekly benefit amount will be.
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