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Been on unemployment 3 times over the years and never had to pay anything back. Your neighbor probably doesn't know what they're talking about
yeah my econ professor said the same thing about natural unemployment or whatever. something about friction in the job market being normal? idk sounds like BS when you're waiting weeks for NYS Department of Labor to process claims
Frictional unemployment is the term - it's the time between jobs when people are searching or transitioning. Structural unemployment happens when there's a mismatch between worker skills and job requirements. Both are considered 'natural' parts of a functioning economy, separate from cyclical unemployment during recessions.
I totally understand your confusion! When I was laid off last year I felt the same way. The economic theory side is that moderate unemployment gives workers bargaining power - if jobs are too scarce, employers can treat people poorly. If jobs are too plentiful, it can create labor shortages and inflation. The problem is when the safety net (like NYS Department of Labor benefits) doesn't work smoothly to support people during transitions.
ugh the whole contractor vs employee thing is so confusing!! I never know if im supposed to be getting benefits or not. seems like companies just call everyone contractors to avoid paying for stuff
From what I understand, NYS Department of Labor looks at factors like whether you set your own schedule, use your own tools, have other clients, etc. If the company controlled most aspects of your work, you might have been misclassified. Definitely worth applying and letting them make the determination.
Ugh dealing with NYS Department of Labor phone lines is going to be a nightmare if you need to talk to someone about your case. I've been trying to get through for weeks about my adjudication status. The automated system just hangs up on you after an hour wait. But I recently found this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that actually gets you connected to a real NYS Department of Labor agent. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI showing how it works. Saved me so much frustration - finally got my questions answered about my job separation issue.
Javier Cruz
wait so if i quit my job can i still file for unemployment or only if you get fired?? i hate my current job but dont want to lose benefits
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Paolo Longo
•You generally can't get unemployment if you quit voluntarily unless you had 'good cause' like unsafe working conditions or harassment. Getting laid off or fired for reasons other than misconduct usually qualifies you.
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Emma Wilson
Good luck with NYS Department of Labor... took them 6 weeks to approve my claim last time and that was before COVID made everything worse. Make sure you keep filing your weekly claims even if your initial claim is still pending or you'll lose benefits for those weeks.
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