What does it mean when NYS Department of Labor unemployment says exhausted?

When your NYS Department of Labor claim shows 'exhausted' it means you've used up all your available regular unemployment benefits. In New York, you can collect up to 26 weeks of regular UI benefits, but the actual amount depends on your base period wages. If you worked less or earned lower wages, you might exhaust benefits before hitting the 26-week mark. You should receive a notice explaining your options, which might include filing for extended benefits if they're available.

same thing happened to me last year, its so confusing when it just says exhausted with no explanation

The exhausted status basically means your benefit year is done OR you've used up your monetary entitlement - whichever comes first. If you're still unemployed, you can try filing a new claim if it's been a full year since your last claim started, or look into whether there are any federal extension programs available. You can also check if you qualify for other programs through NYS Department of Labor like training benefits.

Getting through to NYS Department of Labor on the phone about stuff like this is impossible. I tried calling for days when my claim showed exhausted and kept getting hung up on. Finally used this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that actually got me through to an agent who explained everything. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI showing how it works. Saved me so much frustration trying to figure out what exhausted meant and what my next steps were.

THE WHOLE SYSTEM IS A JOKE! They make it impossible to understand what anything means and then when you need help you can't reach anyone. I've been dealing with NYS Department of Labor for months and every time something new comes up there's no clear explanation. Exhausted could mean 10 different things but they just leave you guessing!

Just want to add that if your claim is exhausted but you're still unemployed, don't forget to keep doing your job search activities. Sometimes people think they can stop looking when benefits end but if you want to be eligible for any future benefits or extensions you need to maintain that requirement.

I went through this same situation a few months ago and it's definitely stressful when you see "exhausted" with no warning. One thing that helped me was logging into the NY.gov portal and checking under "Payment History" - it shows exactly how much of your benefit amount you've used up versus what was originally approved. Also, if you do get a determination letter in the mail, read it carefully because it will tell you the specific reason (monetary exhaustion vs benefit year end) and what options you might have. In my case, I had to wait and work for a few months before I could file a new claim, but at least I knew where I stood.

I'm dealing with this exact same situation right now and it's so stressful! Mine just switched to "exhausted" status yesterday and I had no idea what it meant. Reading through all these responses is really helpful - it sounds like I need to check my payment history to see if I hit my monetary limit or if it's something else. Has anyone here had luck getting extensions when regular benefits run out? I'm worried about what I'm going to do if there aren't any other options available.