One more thing - make sure she keeps detailed records of her job search activities right from the start. NYS Department of Labor requires you to make at least 3 job contacts per week and keep a log. Even if her claim is still processing, she needs to be actively looking for work and documenting it. They can ask to see this information at any time.

Just want to add that she should also gather her bank account information for direct deposit setup during the application process. NYS Department of Labor strongly recommends direct deposit over waiting for debit cards to arrive by mail. Also, if she was laid off due to lack of work (not fired for misconduct), make sure she selects the correct reason on the application - this affects how quickly her claim gets processed. The system will ask for specific details about her separation, so having her termination letter or any documentation from HR can be helpful if there are follow-up questions.

I had this exact same issue earlier this year! When your Key Bank account is closed due to overdrafts (not just expired), the system can't automatically send a new card. Your payment is probably sitting in limbo right now. Here's what I learned after going through this nightmare: 1. Call Key Bank first at 1-866-295-2955 to get confirmation that your account is closed and get a reference number 2. Then you HAVE to talk to someone at NYSDOL to have them reissue the payment - there's no automatic process for closed accounts 3. Ask them to switch you to direct deposit while you have them on the phone so this doesn't happen again 4. If you can't get through the normal way (and let's be real, you probably won't), I ended up using that Claimyr service people mentioned and it actually worked The good news is your money isn't lost - they hold it until you get it sorted. The bad news is you definitely need to make those calls. I know it's frustrating when rent is due, but once you get the right person on the phone it gets fixed pretty quickly. Hang in there!

I went through this EXACT situation about 8 months ago and it was such a headache! Your payment is definitely stuck in limbo right now since the system tried to deposit to your closed account. Here's what you need to do: 1. Call Key Bank at 1-866-295-2955 first to confirm your account status and get a reference number - this usually takes 15-20 mins on hold which is way better than NYSDOL 2. Then you absolutely MUST speak to someone at NYSDOL to have them manually reissue the payment. There's no automatic process when accounts are closed due to overdrafts vs just expired cards 3. While you have them on the phone, ask to switch to direct deposit for future payments so you never have to deal with Key Bank again 4. Your money isn't lost - they hold it for about 30 days before potentially sending it back, so you have time but don't wait too long I know the phone situation is impossible, but if regular calling doesn't work, I honestly had success with that Claimyr service others mentioned. Cost me like $25 but saved my sanity and got me connected within an hour. Once I actually talked to someone at NYSDOL, they reprocessed my payment in 2 days since the original approval was already there. Hang in there - I know it's stressful when rent is due, but this IS fixable! Document everything and get those reference numbers. You got this! 💪

For the most up-to-date unemployment percentage data, I'd recommend checking the New York State Department of Labor's official Labor Market Information page directly. They typically release preliminary monthly data around the 3rd Friday of each month. The unemployment percentage can vary quite a bit between regions - NYC metro area often differs from upstate regions like Rochester, Syracuse, or the North Country. You might also want to look at both the seasonally adjusted and non-seasonally adjusted numbers depending on what your analysis requires. The Bureau of Labor Statistics also publishes state-level data that complements the NYS DOL reports, which can be helpful for comparing trends over time.

The NYS Department of Labor does publish county-level unemployment data! For the Capital Region/Albany area specifically, you can find detailed breakdowns that include Albany, Rensselaer, Saratoga, and Schenectady counties. They usually group it as the "Albany-Schenectady-Troy Metropolitan Statistical Area" in their reports. The county-level data sometimes lags a bit behind the statewide numbers by a few weeks, but it's definitely available. I'd also suggest checking out the "Local Area Unemployment Statistics" section on their site - that's where they dive into the more granular geographic data that sounds like what you're looking for.

JUST TO ADD - make sure you apply right away if you do lose your job, even if you're not 100% sure you qualify. The NYS Department of Labor will determine your eligibility and you don't want to miss out on any potential benefits while you're figuring it out. The worst they can say is no, but at least you'll know for sure.

Just want to add my experience here - I was in almost the exact same situation as you Sean! Got let go after about 8 weeks at a new job and was panicking about whether I'd qualify for unemployment. Turns out my previous job from about 14 months earlier still counted toward my base period earnings. The NYS Department of Labor rep I finally got through to explained that as long as you meet those earnings thresholds during the base period quarters, the length of time at your most recent job doesn't matter. The tricky part was actually getting someone on the phone to walk through my specific situation - took me weeks of busy signals and dropped calls. But once I got clarity on my eligibility, the actual application process was pretty straightforward. Don't stress too much about the 6 weeks - focus on whether your total earnings during the base period meet the requirements.

I went through this exact nightmare last year! Here's what finally worked for me: I found my old signup email by searching ALL my email accounts (including ones I barely use) for "NY.gov" and "unemployment" - turns out I had used an old email address I forgot about. The confirmation email had my username! If you still can't find it, try calling the NY.gov ID technical support line (different from regular unemployment) - they can help recover both username AND password. Also check your browser's saved passwords if you ever logged in on your computer. Don't give up, I know how stressful this is when you need that money!

I'm dealing with a similar situation right now! One thing that helped me was checking my phone's autofill suggestions - when I went to the login page and tapped on the username field, my phone suggested a username I had completely forgotten about. Also, if you have an iPhone, check Settings > Passwords & Accounts > Website & App Passwords - sometimes it saves login info even when you don't remember saving it. Worth a shot before going through the hassle of calling! Hope you get it sorted out soon, the rent stress is real 😰