Income Requirements

• To become eligible for New York unemployment benefits, an applicant must have worked in at least four of the last five calendar quarters preceding his claim. The New York State Department of Labor classifies this time frame as a "base period." He must also have earned at least $1,600 during any one of these calendar quarters and the total amount he earned during the base period must be at least 1.5 times the wages he earned during his highest paid quarter.
  
  

Job Separation

• Workers who are laid off or are fired for poor performance generally qualify for benefits in New York if they meet other eligibility standards. However, those who are terminated due to official misconduct may not qualify for benefits. Those who voluntarily quit a job without good cause do not quality for compensation.
  
  

Required Forms and Information

• To apply for benefits, claimants must be legal residents of the state of New York. They must provide their Social Security number, a current mailing address and their federal or military work records, if necessary. Applicants who are not naturalized United States citizens must provide their Alien Registration Numbers.
  
  

Job Search

• Workers who begin receiving benefits must maintain their eligibility by making regular searches for suitable employment. They must keep detailed records of their job contacts for submission to the Department of Labor. Those who do not make diligent work searches may lose their eligibility.