New York State Department of Labor Unemployment Insurance

Guidance for Teachers and Other School Employees

Teachers and other school employees generally do not qualify for Unemployment Insurance (UI) benefits during breaks in the school year or the time between school years or terms. This applies when:

• They have a contract for a similar job in the next school year or term
• There is reasonable assurance of a similar job in the next school year or term, or after the break

Reasonable assurance exists when an educational institution:

• Has said it will employ a worker AND
• Will make a good faith effort to do so AND
• Offers salary and benefits similar to the prior job

If you work for an educational institution and lose your job through no fault of your own, you might qualify for UI benefits. For example, if your employer discharged or fired you because you could not meet their performance or production standards, or their qualifications for the job

Other examples include:

• Layoffs
• Contracts expired
• Furloughs
• Reductions in force (RIF)

The UI law is complex. We determine eligibility for benefits on a case-by-case basis. We will review your claim to decide if you qualify.

General UI information

• Find out How to file a claim for Unemployment Insurance benefits.
• To learn about eligibility, including reasons why you may not qualify, visit Before You Apply For Unemployment: Frequently Asked Questions.
• For more details regarding school employment and how it relates to Unemployment Insurance, visit our Q&A section.
• If you work outside school, we also will consider any non-school job and pay to see if you qualify for benefits. For more details about non-school work, visit our Q&A section.
• If you have a question that our Frequently Asked Questions section does not answer, sign in with your NY.GOV ID and click on "Messages".  See Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) and Customer Tutorials to help you get started with NY.GOV ID.