Jobs and Job Training

Please note. This guide shares general information only. It is not legal, financial, tax or professional advice. Laws vary by state and city. For advice about your situation, talk with a licensed professional.

Hi friend. Looking for work takes real courage, especially when money is tight or life has thrown you a curveball. I'm cheering you on.

Here is the easy first step: find your local Career Center. New York has about 90 of them, run with the New York State Department of Labor, and in New York City they're called Workforce1 Career Centers. Their help is at no cost. This guide walks you through it, plus unemployment pay, help for people with disabilities, and a fresh start if you have a record.

A few things to know

• You choose. Use what feels right for you and skip anything that doesn't.
• Each place decides who it can serve. We share what each place says it offers and how to reach it. We can't promise a job, money or a spot in any program.
• Hours and details change. Call ahead when you can.
• This guide is for every job seeker: parents juggling child care, young people, older workers, veterans, people with disabilities, people with a record, immigrants and anyone else. If something is for one group, we say so.
• In danger right now? Call 911. Thinking about suicide or in crisis? Call or text 988.

Where can I get no cost help finding a job?

Start with your local Career Center. The New York State Department of Labor (DOL) lists about 90 Career Centers across the state, with no cost help for your job search.

Use the Career Center locator at https://dol.ny.gov/career-centers to find yours by county. In New York City, Workforce1 Career Centers in every borough do the same: https://www.nyc.gov/site/sbs/careers/find-a-job.page

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Use the library, too

No computer at home? Your public library has no cost computers and WiFi, and many libraries have no cost help with resumes and applications. Easy peasy!

What if I just lost my job?

The New York State Department of Labor runs unemployment insurance. If you lost your job through no fault of your own, you may qualify.

Here's how it works.

• File a claim online at https://dol.ny.gov/unemployment/unemployment-insurance-assistance or call the Telephone Claims Center at 888.209.8124, Monday to Friday, 8 am to 5 pm.
• After you file, you must also claim weekly benefits, called certifying, for each week you're out of work. You can certify online or by phone at 888.581.5812.
• Look for work and keep a Work Search Record every week. DOL says you must do at least three work search activities each week.
• Heads up: DOL says it is upgrading its unemployment system starting Monday, November 2, 2026 at 5 pm, and payments may be delayed. Check its updates page before then.

Source (As of October 22, 2026): https://dol.ny.gov/unemployment/unemployment-insurance-assistance and https://dol.ny.gov/unemployment-insurance-contact/

Losing a job doesn't say anything bad about you. It's a season, and seasons change. One phone call at a time, friend.

From the Bunklow team

How does New York unemployment work after I file?

It can feel like a lot of rules at once. Here's the path, in plain words, from DOL.

Working part time while you look

• DOL uses an hours based rule. You can still get some benefits in a week you work 30 hours or fewer, if you earn less than the maximum benefit rate.
• Report your hours honestly when you certify. DOL says 0 to 10 hours means no cut to your benefit, 11 to 16 hours cuts it by 25 percent, 17 to 21 hours by 50 percent, 22 to 30 hours by 75 percent, and more than 30 hours means no benefit that week.

Source (As of October 22, 2026): https://dol.ny.gov/partial-unemployment and https://dol.ny.gov/work-search

Who qualifies

• Generally, you must be out of work, or working fewer hours, through no fault of your own, and be able, available and looking for work each week. DOL decides each claim.
• Got SNAP? DOL notes that getting or filing for unemployment may excuse you from the SNAP work rules. Ask your SNAP office.

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Keep your log

DOL can ask to see your Work Search Record. A simple notebook, a phone note, or JobZone works great!

What if I have a disability?

ACCES VR, part of the New York State Education Department, helps New Yorkers with disabilities get ready for work, find a job and keep it. Here's how to start.

• Fill out the ACCES VR application online, by email or by mail. It goes to the district office for your ZIP code.
• Call 800.222.5627 (800.222.JOBS) to find your nearest office.
• If you're blind or have low vision, the NYS Commission for the Blind also helps. Ask ACCES VR or 211 to connect you.

Source (As of October 22, 2026): https://www.acces.nysed.gov/vr/vrapply

Can I get a job if I have a record?

Yes, many people do, and New York has some real protections.

• Clean Slate Act. New York's Clean Slate Act took effect on November 16, 2024. Eligible misdemeanor convictions are sealed automatically three years after sentencing or release, and eligible felony convictions after eight years, if there are no new charges and you're not on probation or parole. The courts have until November 16, 2027 to finish sealing older records. Most employers can't ask about or use sealed convictions, though some jobs with fingerprint checks still can. Source (As of October 22, 2026): https://www.nycourts.gov/FORMS/criminal-record-sealing.shtml
• New York City Fair Chance Act. In New York City, most employers can't ask about or consider your conviction history until after they make a conditional job offer. If they want to take the offer back because of your record, they must give you a fair chance to respond first. Source (As of October 22, 2026): https://www.nyc.gov/site/cchr/law/fair-chance-act.page
• Reentry help. CareerOneStop, from the U.S. Department of Labor, has a no cost section for people with a record, with tips and a ReEntry Program Finder. Source (As of October 22, 2026): https://www.careeronestop.org/JusticeImpacted/default.aspx
• Need your ID first? See Guide 11, Getting ID and Documents Back. Want no cost legal help with your record? See Guide 13.

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Practice your answer

Practice a short, honest answer about your record, then turn it toward what you learned and what you can do now. Saying it out loud a few times makes it so much easier. You've got this!

Where can I get no cost job training?

• Training money. Ask your Career Center about training help and on the job training.
• Apprenticeships. You earn a paycheck while you learn a trade. DOL runs New York State Registered Apprenticeship: https://dol.ny.gov/apprenticeship
• Job Corps, ages 16 to 24. Job Corps says it is a no cost career training and education program for young adults with low incomes, with no cost housing and meals while you train. Call 800.733.5627.
• SNAP job help. If you get SNAP, ask your county social services office, or HRA in New York City, about job and training help for SNAP members.

Source (As of October 22, 2026): https://www.jobcorps.gov/

How do I get ready for interviews?

• Write a simple resume. One page is fine. List your jobs, skills, and any training. Your Career Center can help at no cost.
• Plan the trip. Know the bus or subway route and leave early. Dial 211 to ask about ride help.
• Dress neat and clean. Need interview clothes? See Guide 5, Clothing and Hygiene.
• Bring copies. Your resume, your ID, and a list of references with phone numbers.
• Follow up. A short thank you call or email the next day helps you stand out.

What if my boss didn't pay me?

That's not okay, and New York can help. The Department of Labor's Division of Labor Standards takes complaints about unpaid or withheld wages.

• File a Labor Standards Complaint form (LS223) online or by mail. DOL also has a Wage Theft Hub with more help.
• Need help with the form? Call 888.469.7365.
• Don't wait. DOL generally takes complaints within three years of the work, and may take some up to six years. A lawsuit in court generally has a six year deadline.

Source (As of October 22, 2026): https://dol.ny.gov/unpaidwithheld-wages-and-wage-supplements

What should I know about work in New York?

New York has strong rules to protect workers. Here are the big ones, from the state's own pages.

• Minimum wage. The New York State Department of Labor says the minimum wage is $17.00 an hour in New York City, Long Island and Westchester County, and $16.00 an hour in the rest of the state. DOL says these rates stay the same on January 1, 2027. Tipped hospitality workers can be paid a lower cash wage, but only if tips make up the difference.
• Overtime. DOL says a standard work week is 40 hours, and most workers must be paid time and a half, 1.5 times their regular pay, for hours over 40.
• Paid sick leave. New York State says employers with 100 or more workers must give up to 56 hours of paid sick leave a year, and employers with 5 to 99 workers must give up to 40 hours. Very small employers must give up to 40 hours, paid or unpaid, depending on their income. You earn at least 1 hour for every 30 hours you work.
• Sick or safe. You can use sick leave if you or a family member you care for is sick, or for "safe" reasons. The state's paid sick leave page explains what counts.
• Paid prenatal leave. Since January 1, 2025, DOL says private sector workers, full time or part time, get 20 hours of paid prenatal leave a year for pregnancy care visits. Your boss can't ask for your medical details or records.

Source (As of October 22, 2026): https://dol.ny.gov/minimum-wage and https://www.ny.gov/programs/new-york-paid-sick-leave and https://dol.ny.gov/system/files/documents/2024/12/p695-paid-prenatal-leave-law-employee-12-10-24.pdf

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You don't have to explain

For prenatal leave, the state says you don't have to share private health details. If your pay looks wrong, call the DOL wage claim help line at 888.469.7365.

Questions people ask a lot

Federal help (works in every state)

Here are some places to start.

Other local groups may also help.

New York State

Here are some places to start.

Other local groups may also help.

New York City (all five boroughs)

Here are some places to start.

Other local groups may also help.

Suffolk County

Here are some places to start.

Other local groups may also help.

Westchester County

Here are some places to start.

Other local groups may also help.

Erie County (Buffalo)

Here are some places to start.

Other local groups may also help.

Monroe County (Rochester)

Here are some places to start.

Other local groups may also help.

Onondaga County (Syracuse)

Here are some places to start.

Other local groups may also help.

Albany County

Here are some places to start.

Other local groups may also help.

My job plan for this week

Fill this in with a pen, or snap a photo and keep it on your phone. You've got this!

Key numbers to keep

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Please let me know if you have any questions

If something in this guide is out of date, tell us and we'll fix it. I'm proud of you for taking this step. Make it a great day, friend!

About this guide

Made by the Bunklow team. No sign up, no paywall, no cost. Please share it with anyone who could use it. Bunklow does not run these programs and cannot speak for them. We list what each place says it offers and how to reach it, and you decide what to use. This is not a full list of every place that can help. Sources were first checked on October 16, 2026. New sources were added, and every link was checked again on October 18, 2026. If something has changed, please tell us so we can fix it. We are always happy to hear from you!

Please note. This guide shares general information only. It is not legal, financial, tax or professional advice. Laws vary by state and city. For advice about your situation, talk with a licensed professional.

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Last updated October 18, 2026