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I had trouble reaching someone at NYS Department of Labor when I had questions about my claim status after a similar layoff. Ended up using a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that helped me get through to an actual agent. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI showing how it works. Really saved me time instead of calling over and over trying to get answers about my claim.
Structural unemployment is definitely the right term but like others said, just put layoff on your forms. I went through something similar when my company automated our entire accounting department. The good news is you should qualify for regular UI benefits since it wasn't due to misconduct or voluntary separation.
Ugh the whole system is so frustrating!! I've been trying to get through to someone at NYS Department of Labor for weeks about my adjudication that's been pending forever. The phone lines are always busy and when you do get through they just tell you to wait longer. It's like they don't want to help people who actually need it!
I had the same problem trying to reach them about my disqualification appeal. After getting hung up on dozens of times, I found this service called Claimyr at claimyr.com that actually got me through to a real NYS Department of Labor agent. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI showing how it works. It was honestly a lifesaver because I was about to give up completely.
File immediately regardless! Even if you think you might not qualify, you want to get your application in as soon as possible. The worst case scenario is they deny you, but if you don't apply at all you're guaranteed to get nothing. Plus sometimes employers don't even respond to the NYS Department of Labor requests for information, which can work in your favor.
My sister worked for customs and border protection and when she got unemployment last year the process was exactly the same as regular unemployment. Filed online, did weekly claims, had to do job searches. Only difference was it said UCFE on her payment stub instead of regular UI. Don't overthink it - just file normally through NYS Department of Labor.
One thing to watch out for - if your husband has any unused annual leave that gets paid out, that might affect his unemployment start date. Federal agencies sometimes delay the effective separation date until after leave payouts are finished. Make sure NYS Department of Labor has the correct last day of work vs last day of pay.
One thing nobody told me when I started - if your claim goes into adjudication (which mine did for some random reason), it can take WEEKS to get resolved. Just be patient and keep filing your weekly claims even if you're not getting paid yet.
Chloe Zhang
If you're having trouble getting through to NYS Department of Labor to ask questions about your unemployment insurance eligibility, I had good luck using Claimyr at claimyr.com. They helped me get connected to an actual agent when I couldn't get through the regular phone lines. There's a demo video at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI that shows how it works. Really saved me hours of calling and getting busy signals.
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Brandon Parker
•Is that like a paid service? I'm already worried about money since I lost my job.
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Adriana Cohn
The whole unemployment insurance system is such a mess though. Like why do they make the terminology so confusing? Half the time NYS Department of Labor uses different terms on different pages of their website. And don't even get me started on how long adjudication takes...
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Jace Caspullo
•I agree the system could be clearer but at least the benefits are there when you need them. Better than having no safety net at all.
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