When does unemployment end - NYS Department of Labor benefit duration limits?

In New York, regular unemployment benefits last for 26 weeks maximum. This is the standard duration unless there are federal extensions in place, which there currently aren't. Your benefit year runs for 52 weeks from when you first filed, but you can only collect for 26 of those weeks. You can check your remaining balance and benefit year end date by logging into your my.ny.gov account.

The 26 week limit is correct, but there are some exceptions. If you're in certain training programs approved by NYS Department of Labor, you might be eligible for extended benefits. Also, if unemployment rates in NY get high enough, there could be Extended Benefits (EB) program activated, but that's pretty rare.

ugh this is so stressful!! I'm at week 23 and still haven't found anything. What happens if you don't find a job by week 26? Do you just get cut off completely? This whole system is ridiculous

I had this same question last month and couldn't get through to NYS Department of Labor either. The phone system is impossible. I ended up using claimyr.com to get connected to an actual agent who explained everything about my specific situation. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI that shows how it works. Cost me way less stress than trying to call for weeks and actually got real answers about my benefit year and remaining weeks.

just a heads up that if you work part time while collecting, those weeks still count toward your 26 week limit even if you're only getting partial benefits. found that out the hard way

Wait I thought unemployment was supposed to last longer than 26 weeks? My cousin in another state got like 40 something weeks during the pandemic

I'm going through the exact same thing right now - at week 22 and getting really anxious about the cutoff. One thing I learned from my local One-Stop Career Center is that you should definitely start applying for jobs more aggressively as you get closer to week 26, but also look into any workforce development programs in your area. Some of them can help with job placement and might even qualify for those training extensions people mentioned. Also, make sure you're documenting all your job search activities really well because they sometimes audit that stuff near the end of your benefit period.

I'm in a similar boat at week 19 and this thread is really helpful! Just want to add that I found out you can actually see your exact benefit year end date and remaining weeks when you log into your my.ny.gov account under the "View Benefit Payments" section. It shows both your monetary balance AND your week counter, which cleared up the confusion I had about whether it's the money or the weeks that matter (it's the weeks). Also, for anyone struggling with the phone system, I've had better luck calling right at 8am when they open or during lunch time around 12:30-1pm. Still takes forever but at least I don't get the busy signal immediately.