New York Unemployment: Responsibilities Of Claimants

By Author: Franklin Mowshowitz
Total Articles: 7
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According to Bureau of Labor Statistics data for November 2011, the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for New York was 8%, below the same month’s national average of 8.6%. However, on a state-by-state-basis, that figure ranks it 27th out of all states. It is obviously ideal, from a worker’s perspective, to be employed. Nevertheless, if New Yorkers find themselves without a job, the state of New York offers unemployment insurance. The funding for New York unemployment insurance comes from taxes from employers, and not directly from workers’ paychecks.
Successfully filing for unemployment insurance requires the claimant to meet certain criteria. One of the primary criteria for collecting the insurance is that the claimant must have become unemployed through no fault of their own. That is to say, potential claimants cannot typically quit and subsequently file a claim.
Claimants must also be prepared to work in order to file for benefits. This willingness to work is based on actively and consistently seeking employment while claiming unemployment ...
... benefits. Those collecting benefits typically demonstrate their job search efforts by keeping written notes describing their search efforts. Failure to keep this written record may result in the denial of benefits.
In New York, unemployment claimants are encouraged to look for “suitable work.” The definition of suitable work falls, generally speaking, into two phases. During the first phase, suitable work is that which you have training or experience in, including your previous position and positions before it. This phase lasts for 13 weeks.
After that, the definition of suitable work expands to generally include any work that claimants are able to perform, with some caveats. A partial (but not exhaustive) list of those caveats include that the work must pay a wage similar to the typical wage for that work in that area, and must be within reasonable travelling distance.
Those who work fewer than four days in a week and earn less than $406 per week may be eligible to receive partial New York unemployment benefits. The amount of benefits you receive is typically contingent upon the amount of days you work per week. All part-time work must be reported.
This is a very partial list of some of the requirements needed to file an unemployment claim in the state of New York. It is not intended to be exhaustive or authoritative, but rather to illuminate that, while New York unemployment insurance exists, claimants must take several steps to become—and remain—eligible to continue receiving benefits.
Sources:
The Bureau of Labor Statistics (http://www.bls.gov/web/laus/lauhsthl.htm)
The New York State Department of Labor (http://www.labor.ny.gov/formsdocs/ui/TC318.3e.pdf)