ALBANY — New York authorities say they have arrested 35 people who formerly worked for Madison Square Garden and Radio City Music Hall for fraudulently collecting unemployment benefits ranging from $10,000 to $38,000.

The arrests stemmed from an investigation that began in August 2010 when employees of the famous Manhattan entertainment venues were laid off and later rehired.

Authorities say the employees issued false statements to the state Department of Labor and collected unemployment benefits. Officials say more arrests are expected shortly.

In 2011, the state paid nearly $7.7 billion in total unemployment insurance benefits to more than 1.1 million people.

The arrests were announced Friday by the governor’s office, which says the probe was conducted by the labor department working with prosecutors in Manhattan, Brooklyn and Queens.