Unemployment Insurance (UI) in New York provides temporary income for unemployed workers who are actively looking for new employment. These benefits are available for eligible workers who have lost employment through no fault of their own and live in the state of New York.

You can apply for unemployment benefits online. Remember, you must be willing to accept new work when you find it and you must be able to work to apply for these benefits. The Department of Labor holds final decision as to whether you qualify for benefits or not. The benefits you receive through UI are not deducted from your regular paycheck.

It is important that you file your claim as soon as you lose your work. If you wait you may lose benefits. Remember, there is going to be a waiting period of one week after which you will receive your benefits payment.

Eligibility Requirements

Getting help with applying for UI benefits in NY

When filing claims online, you may need assistance from your local office. You can find your nearest local office by visiting this link and selecting the right office from the list of local offices of Department of Labor.

You can read UI rules here. This will help you understand the basic rules about unemployment benefits.

You can use this link to download a claimant handbook that will help you with everything from filing your claim to tracking benefits.

If you have further questions, please visit the FAQ page. Majority of your questions are answered there.

Manage your unemployment benefits online

To manage your unemployment benefits online after you have completed the application, visit this link and sign in with your NY GOV ID and password.

You can also call at 888-209-8124 to reach a customer representative. Call at 1-877-358-5306 if you are calling from outside the New York.

Unemployment Application Instructions

It is easy to apply for UI benefits in the state of New York. All you have to do is to check your eligibility and then file a claim online. Here are the steps to follow.

- Visit NY GOV website by clicking here.

- Enter your NY GOV ID and enter password to login.

- If you don't have a GOV ID already, visit this link to create a new ID.

Remember that you can only file your claim through online portal from Monday through Thursday between 7:30 am to 7:30 pm. On Friday you can file your claim between 7:30 am and 5:00 pm. You can file a claim at any time on Saturday through Sunday (until 7:00 pm).