What is an example of seasonal unemployment for NYS Department of Labor weekly claims?
I'm trying to understand seasonal unemployment better for my situation. I work at a ski resort in the Adirondacks and we shut down operations every April through November. My supervisor said I might qualify for seasonal unemployment benefits but I'm not sure what that means exactly. Is this different from regular unemployment? Do I still need to do job searches during the off-season? The NYS Department of Labor website mentions seasonal work but doesn't give clear examples. Has anyone been through this process?
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Eva St. Cyr
Seasonal unemployment is exactly your situation! Ski resorts, beach resorts, landscaping, construction, agriculture - these are classic examples. You typically get laid off during predictable slow periods and return when business picks up. For NYS Department of Labor purposes, you still file regular weekly claims but your job search requirements might be different since you have a definite return date.
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Nathaniel Mikhaylov
•That makes sense! So I don't need to look for other jobs if I'm guaranteed to return in November?
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Kristian Bishop
I work in landscaping and deal with this every winter. You still need to file your weekly claims and certify that you're able and available for work. The job search thing depends - if your employer gives you a definite return date in writing, the requirements are usually relaxed. But you should still register with the NYS job bank just in case.
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Kaitlyn Otto
•This is helpful! I'm in construction and we have slow periods too. Do you know if we need to accept other jobs during the off-season?
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Axel Far
ugh the whole seasonal thing is so confusing!! i work at a summer camp and they told us we can't collect if we're just waiting to go back to the same job but then other people say we can?? the NYS Department of Labor office never answers their phone to explain this stuff
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Jasmine Hernandez
•You can definitely collect seasonal unemployment! The key is that you have to be available for other work too, not just waiting around. If you had trouble reaching NYS Department of Labor by phone, I used a service called Claimyr that helped me get through to an actual agent. Check out claimyr.com - they have a demo video at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI that shows how it works.
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Luis Johnson
The NYS Department of Labor system is ridiculous with seasonal workers. I've been doing this for 5 years and they STILL make me jump through hoops every time. Last year they tried to say I wasn't actively seeking work even though I had a return date. Had to appeal and everything.
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Ellie Kim
•Oh no that sounds stressful! Did you win the appeal?
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Ellie Kim
Same boat here! I work at a beach resort on Long Island and we close October through March. Been collecting seasonal unemployment for 3 years now. Just make sure you keep documenting your job search activities even if it feels pointless.
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