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If you really want to visit an office, there are NYS Department of Labor career centers but honestly the online system is so much easier. I tried calling their phone number first and was on hold for like 2 hours before giving up and just doing it online.
Yeah the phone system is terrible. If you absolutely need to talk to someone at NYS Department of Labor, I found this service called Claimyr at 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. Saved me hours of trying to call.
The whole system is ridiculous if you ask me. Why should we have to sit around for 10+ days wondering if our former employer is going to screw us over? They should have to respond within 3 business days MAX. NYS Department of Labor lets these companies drag their feet while we can't pay our bills.
Just went through this same situation 2 months ago. My employer never responded at all and my claim was approved after about 2 weeks total. Sometimes no response works in your favor because NYS Department of Labor processes it based on your side of the story only. Keep filing your weekly claims even while it's pending!
If you're having trouble reaching NYS Department of Labor to check on your claim status, I had good luck with this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com). They basically get you through to an actual agent instead of waiting on hold forever. There's a demo video at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI that shows how it works. Saved me hours of frustration when my claim got stuck in adjudication for weeks.
wait so if unemployment is only 3.7% why is it so hard to find work right now?? this doesn't make sense to me
I've been dealing with NYS Department of Labor for 3 months now and honestly the national unemployment rate is the LEAST of their concerns. They're understaffed, their computer systems are ancient, and they don't care how long you wait. 3.7% unemployment means nothing when the agency processing your claim is dysfunctional!
Zoe Alexopoulos
omg this explains so much!! I was wondering why the unemployment rate seemed low when everyone I know is either unemployed or underemployed. Sounds like the official numbers don't tell the whole story at all
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Jamal Carter
The whole system is designed to make the numbers look better than reality. When I was on unemployment for 6 months last year, half the people in my job search workshop weren't even counted in the official rate because they'd given up looking or were only working a few hours a week. NYS Department of Labor knows this but they still report the misleading numbers.
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Ethan Wilson
•That's not entirely fair - they do publish the broader measures (U-4, U-5, U-6) that capture those situations. The problem is media and politicians only focus on the headline U-3 number.
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