Where to apply unemployment benefits in NY - need help finding the right place
I just got laid off from my job at a warehouse in Rochester and I'm completely lost about where to apply unemployment benefits. My manager mentioned something about filing online but I don't know what website to use or if I need to go somewhere in person. Is there a specific NYS Department of Labor office I need to visit or can I really do this all online? I've never had to deal with unemployment before and I'm stressed about making sure I do everything right. Any guidance would be really appreciated.
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Mei Zhang
You can apply online through the my.ny.gov website - that's the official NYS Department of Labor portal. You don't need to go to a physical office unless there's some special issue with your claim. Just create an account and follow the prompts to file your initial claim. Make sure you have your social security number, employment history for the last 18 months, and your employer's information ready.
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Jamal Anderson
•Thank you! Do I need to wait until my last day of work or can I file right away?
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Liam McGuire
File as soon as possible after your last day of work. Benefits start from the week you file, not when you actually lost your job. The my.ny.gov site walks you through everything step by step. You'll also need to register for work search requirements through the same portal once your claim is approved.
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Amara Eze
•this is correct, I made the mistake of waiting a week to file and lost out on that first week of benefits
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Giovanni Ricci
The NYS Department of Labor website can be confusing at first but stick with it. If you run into problems getting through on the phone (which happens a lot), I found this service called Claimyr that helps you actually reach a real person at NYS Department of Labor. Check out claimyr.com - they have a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI that shows how it works. Really saved me when my claim got stuck in adjudication.
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Jamal Anderson
•How much does something like that cost? I'm already worried about money.
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Giovanni Ricci
•It's worth checking out their site for details, but honestly when you're dealing with weeks of trying to get through to NYS Department of Labor on your own, any help becomes valuable. The video explains everything pretty clearly.
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NeonNomad
just go to ny.gov and look for unemployment, its not that complicated people make it sound harder than it is
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Fatima Al-Hashemi
UGH the NYS Department of Labor system is such a nightmare. I applied three times before I figured out I was making errors on the employment history section. Make sure you have EXACT dates and employer addresses or they'll kick your application back and you'll have to start over. The whole system is designed to frustrate people into giving up.
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Dylan Mitchell
•I feel your pain - had similar issues with my application getting rejected for minor date discrepancies. The key is being super precise with your employment information and double-checking everything before you submit.
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