Unemployment benefits set to expire in May for thousands of New Yorkers by syracuse.com Wednesday April 15, 2009, 4:02 PM Bebeto Matthews / APJob seekers wait in a line stretching around a block to attend a career fair in New York City. Unemployment benefits for 56,000 New Yorkers, including 2,300 in Central New York, will expire by the middle of May. After that, about 8,000 New Yorkers a week will begin to lose benefits, in the worst job market in more than two decades. Governor Paterson submitted legislation on Wednesday to allow the state to access $645 million in federal stimulus money to help people about to run out of unemployment benefits. The Post-Standard's Charley Hannagan has more on New York's plans to help the unemployed.