What do u need to qualify for unemployment NYS Department of Labor benefits?

To qualify for NYS Department of Labor unemployment benefits, you need to meet several key requirements: You must have worked and earned wages in at least two quarters during your base period (usually the first four of the last five completed calendar quarters). You need sufficient wage credits - generally at least $2,400 in your highest quarter and total base period wages of at least 1.5 times your high quarter wages. You must be unemployed through no fault of your own (layoffs qualify, firing for misconduct doesn't). You also need to be able and available for work, actively seeking employment, and register for work search activities.

The base period thing is confusing but basically they look at the first 4 of the last 5 completed calendar quarters before you file. So if you file now in January 2025, they'd look at wages from October 2023 through September 2024. If you only started in March 2024, you might not have enough quarters in the standard base period, but NYS Department of Labor has an alternate base period that uses the most recent 4 quarters which could help you qualify.

I was in a similar situation last year - worked at a retail job for only 7 months before getting laid off. I was worried I wouldn't qualify but turns out I did under the alternate base period. The key is having enough wage credits. For restaurants, if you were making decent tips that were reported, that helps build up your wage base. Just make sure when you apply online through my.ny.gov that you report ALL your wages including tips.

MAKE SURE you file as soon as possible! There's no waiting period to apply and benefits are backdated to when you file, not when you lost your job. Also be prepared for the job search requirements - you'll need to make at least 3 job contacts per week and keep a log. The system is pretty strict about this stuff.

Word of warning - I've been trying to get through to NYS Department of Labor for weeks about my claim status and their phone lines are impossible. If you need to talk to someone about your eligibility or have questions during the process, I recently found this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that actually got me connected to a real person. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI showing how it works. Saved me hours of calling and getting hung up on.

just apply man, dont overthink it. worst case they say no but at least youll know. the requirements arent that hard if you worked a real job for several months

Good luck with your application! The restaurant industry layoffs are tough but unemployment benefits should help bridge the gap while you find something new. Make sure to certify for your weekly benefits every week once you're approved - missing a week can cause payment delays.