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just apply man, dont overthink it. worst case they say no but at least youll know. the requirements arent that hard if you worked a real job for several months
Good luck with your application! The restaurant industry layoffs are tough but unemployment benefits should help bridge the gap while you find something new. Make sure to certify for your weekly benefits every week once you're approved - missing a week can cause payment delays.
ugh the whole system is such a nightmare. I've been waiting 6 weeks for my claim to get approved and every time I call they just say 'it's still processing' like that helps pay my bills!! Good luck OP but prepare yourself for a lot of frustration
Also remember you have to do job search activities once you start claiming - 3 job contacts per week that you have to log. Keep records of everything because they can audit you anytime.
Wait what kind of job search stuff? Do I have to apply to 3 jobs every single week even if I'm trying to get my old job back?
ugh this whole system is so confusing!! why cant you just get help when you need it instead of jumping through all these hoops?? im dealing with something similar and the NYS Department of Labor phone lines are impossible to get through to ask questions
I totally understand the frustration. If you're having trouble reaching NYS Department of Labor by phone, you might want to check out claimyr.com - they have a service that helps people get through to unemployment agents. There's even a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI showing how it works. Sometimes it's worth it just to get clear answers about complex situations like this.
Had this exact issue last year and couldn't get through to anyone at NYS Department of Labor to clarify the tax situation. Ended up using Claimyr (claimyr.com) to actually reach a real person who explained the whole tax withholding process. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI that shows how it works. Wish I had known about the tax implications before I started collecting benefits.
Pro tip: if you're filing taxes yourself, make sure you're using the correct amount from Box 1 of your 1099-G, not Box 2. Box 1 is the total unemployment compensation paid, Box 2 is federal income tax withheld (which will be zero if you didn't elect withholding). Also double-check that the 1099-G includes all your benefit weeks - sometimes there are processing delays that can affect the reported amounts.
Carmen Ortiz
just filed last week and mine went through pretty quick, maybe depends on your employer? idk about unemployment rates but my friend in rochester said his took forever
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Aisha Rahman
To directly answer your question - according to recent NYS Department of Labor data, some Adirondack and Southern Tier counties typically show higher unemployment rates, often in the 6-8% range compared to 3-4% in metro areas. But for your claim processing, focus on making sure you're filing your weekly claims on time and have all your employment documentation ready in case they request it during adjudication.
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Andre Rousseau
•This is really helpful context, thank you. I'm in the Southern Tier so that explains some of what I'm seeing locally.
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