Unemployment insurance

Unemployment insurance is temporary income for eligible workers who

• become unemployed through no fault of their own
• are ready, willing, and able to work
• have earned a certain amount of money during a certain period before becoming unemployed 

You can apply for unemployment benefits by filing a claim with the New York State Department of Labor (DOL) or calling the DOL's telephone claims center at 1-888-209-8124. 

For more information about filing a claim, see the DOL’s claimant handbook. You will not receive benefits for the first full week of a claim, but must still claim weekly benefits and fulfill eligibility requirements. For more information, visit the DOL's frequently asked questions about unemployment benefits. 

To claim your weekly benefits, inquire about the status of your claim, or obtain general information about unemployment insurance, visit the DOL website, or call the DOL’s automated Tel-Service line at l-888-581-5812. 

If you are denied benefits, you are entitled to a hearing before an administrative law judge to contest the denial. For more information, please visit DOL's frequently asked questions about the hearing process.

No. Benefits provided by the federal CARES Act expired on September 5, 2021. In addition, the DOL is no longer accepting applications for benefits under the Excluded Workers Fund, as all benefits have been allocated.

Please see these links for important frequently asked questions and other information. These are all external links:  

• top frequently asked questions (FAQs) 
• apply to shared work program 
• overpayment waiver and appeal process 
• DocuSign FAQs 
• ATM locator 
• guidelines for switching to direct deposit 
• emotional support from New York's Project Hope