How to apply for unemployment benefits

To qualify for Unemployment Insurance benefits, you must have worked and earned enough wages in covered employment. In New York State, employers pay contributions that fund Unemployment Insurance.

You may be eligible for benefits if:

• You lost your job due to lack of work
• The temporary or seasonal employment ended
• Your job was eliminated
• There was an involuntary reduction in force
• The company downsized or shut down
• The company restructured or reorganized
• There was a lack of company operating funds/orders
• You were out of work for any other business reason that you did not choose or control
• Your employer discharged or fired you because you could not meet their performance or production standards, or their qualifications for the job

If you worked in New York State within the last 18 months, you have the right to apply for benefits. You can apply even if you are not sure you qualify or a former employer told you that you were not ‘covered.’ The state will determine your eligibility after you apply with all the required information.

The unemployment insurance program provides benefits to people who:

• Have enough employment to establish a claim
• Have lost employment through no fault of their own
• Are ready, willing, and able to work and
• Are actively seeking work