What is the most common type of unemployment claim with NYS Department of Labor?
I'm trying to understand the different types of unemployment benefits available through NYS Department of Labor. I got laid off from my retail job last month and when I went to file my claim, I saw there were different categories mentioned. What's the most common type that people usually qualify for? I just want to make sure I'm filing for the right benefits and not missing out on anything I might be eligible for.
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Connor Richards
The most common type is regular unemployment insurance (UI) benefits, which covers people who lose their job through no fault of their own - like layoffs, company closures, or being let go due to lack of work. This is what about 85% of claimants file for with NYS Department of Labor. Since you were laid off from retail, that's exactly what you'd qualify for. The other types like standby (for temporary layoffs) or partial unemployment are much less common.
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Zoe Wang
•Thanks! That makes sense. I was worried I might need to file something special since it was a retail job, but sounds like regular UI is what I need.
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Grace Durand
yeah regular UI is definitely the main one. i filed for it when my restaurant closed during the slow season. took about 2 weeks to get approved through my.ny.gov
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Steven Adams
Regular UI is the standard, but make sure you understand the job search requirements. NYS Department of Labor requires you to make at least 3 job contacts per week and keep a detailed log. You can use the online system to track this, or keep your own records. The requirements are pretty strict now compared to a few years ago.
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Alice Fleming
•Wait, is it 3 job contacts or 3 work search activities? I thought some things like attending job fairs counted differently?
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Steven Adams
•You're right to ask for clarification - it's 3 work search activities per week, and job contacts are just one type. Attending job fairs, networking events, or skills training can also count toward your weekly requirement.
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Hassan Khoury
The whole system is confusing honestly. I spent forever trying to figure out if I qualified for anything when I got laid off. Regular unemployment was the only thing that made sense for most people like us who just lost regular jobs.
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Victoria Stark
If you're having trouble getting through to NYS Department of Labor to ask questions about your claim type, I had good luck using claimyr.com - it's a service that helps you get connected to an actual agent when the phone lines are busy. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI that shows how it works. Really helped me when I couldn't get answers about my weekly certification questions.
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Zoe Wang
•Interesting, I didn't know services like that existed. The phone lines have been impossible to get through on.
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Benjamin Kim
Just remember to file your weekly claims on time! That's the most important thing regardless of which type of unemployment you're on. Miss those and you'll have problems with your payments.
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