NYS Unemployment Benefit Online

New York State (NYS) unemployment rose from 8.6% in July to 9% in August, at a 26 year high and very close to the national average of 9.7%. However there is good news. You can avail NYS unemployment benefits online provided by NYS department of labor, for which funds have been allocated.

The number of jobless New Yorkers reach a record high of 874300. Governor of New York State (NYS) Department of Labor, Paterson today announced that New York State will receive approximately $4.5 million in federal grant funds for 2009 under the national Reemployment and Eligibility Assessment (REA) initiative of the US Department of Labor.

You may file a claim between the hours of 7:30 am to 7:30 pm Monday through Thursday (Eastern Time), Friday, 7:30 am to 5:00 pm, all day Saturday, and Sunday until 7:00 pm.

You may claim benefits for last week between the hours of 7:30 am to midnight Sunday through Saturday.

New York State Department of Labor’s (NYSDOL) website provides a safe, efficient way to file your claim for unemployment insurance benefits, claim your weekly benefits, or inquire about benefit payment status. NYSDOL is strongly committed to protecting your personal and employment information against unauthorized access, use, or disclosure.

The REA initiative is designed to help people receiving unemployment insurance get back to work faster by providing them with individualized job search and training services. The money comes from federal funds that support the administration of unemployment insurance.

Note: Only the claimant is authorized to use this system. Allowing someone else to use this system is fraud on the part of the claimant and the user. You could lose up to 20 weeks of benefits if you allow another person to use your PIN or fraudulently claim for benefits.

You can access New York State (NYS) Unemployment benefits online here. The site is reportedly overloaded due to a massive surge of interest recently.