What entity provides unemployment insurance in New York - confused about NYS Department of Labor role
I'm trying to understand who exactly handles unemployment benefits in New York. I keep seeing different abbreviations and I'm getting confused about whether it's NYS Department of Labor or some other agency. My employer mentioned something about state unemployment insurance but I want to make sure I'm contacting the right place when I file my claim next week. Can someone clarify what entity actually provides unemployment insurance here?
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Leo Simmons
The New York State Department of Labor (NYS Department of Labor) is the entity that administers unemployment insurance benefits in New York. They handle everything from initial claims to weekly certifications to appeals. You'll file through their website at labor.ny.gov and create an account on my.ny.gov to manage your claim.
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Lilly Curtis
•Thank you! So when I see 'UI' mentioned in documents, that just means unemployment insurance administered by NYS Department of Labor?
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Lindsey Fry
yes NYS Department of Labor runs everything for unemployment in NY state. been dealing with them for months now and trust me you'll get very familiar with their system lol. make sure you have all your employer info ready when you file
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Saleem Vaziri
Just to be clear - NYS Department of Labor handles regular unemployment insurance (UI), but there are also federal programs that might apply depending on your situation. The state administers those too but the funding sources can be different. For most people filing a regular unemployment claim, you're dealing solely with NYS Department of Labor.
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Kayla Morgan
•This is confusing me more... are there different types of unemployment? I thought it was just one program.
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Saleem Vaziri
•Regular UI is the main program most people qualify for. There used to be federal extensions during COVID but those ended. Now it's mainly just the standard NYS Department of Labor unemployment insurance program that provides up to 26 weeks of benefits.
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James Maki
I had such a hard time getting through to NYS Department of Labor on the phone when I had questions about my claim status. The wait times were insane and I kept getting disconnected. Someone on here recommended trying Claimyr (claimyr.com) to get through to an actual agent. They have a video demo showing how it works: https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI. Ended up being way easier than sitting on hold for hours.
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Lilly Curtis
•Interesting, I'll keep that in mind if I run into issues. Hopefully the online filing process is straightforward enough.
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Jasmine Hancock
NYS Department of Labor is definitely the right agency but good luck actually getting help from them when you need it!! Their phone system is a nightmare and the website crashes all the time. Been fighting with them over an adjudication issue for weeks now.
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Oliver Fischer
@Lilly Curtis - Yes, exactly! "UI" stands for Unemployment Insurance, which is administered by the NYS Department of Labor. You might also see it referred to as "unemployment benefits" or just "unemployment" in casual conversation, but it's all the same program. When you file your claim, you'll be dealing directly with NYS DOL through their online system. Just make sure you have your Social Security number, employment history for the past 18 months, and your most recent employer's information ready when you apply.
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