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the whole unemployment measurement system is pretty outdated IMO, doesnt capture gig workers or people who gave up looking very well
Good point about gig workers. The survey has been updated to better capture non-traditional employment, but it's still not perfect. NYS Department of Labor also publishes alternative measures like U-6 which includes discouraged workers and those working part-time for economic reasons. For your research, you might want to look at both the standard U-3 rate and these broader measures.
The whole system is designed to make it as difficult as possible to actually get your money. They'll find any excuse to delay or deny your claim. Make sure you document EVERYTHING because they'll question every little detail. And don't even get me started on the job search requirements - it's like they want you to waste time applying for jobs you're not qualified for just to meet their arbitrary quotas.
From a personal finance perspective, unemployment is definitely systematic risk for your household budget regardless of what the textbooks say. When you lose your job, it affects everything - your ability to pay bills, your credit score if you miss payments, your retirement savings if you have to withdraw early. The fact that NYS Department of Labor benefits only replace a fraction of your income makes it even more systematic to your personal financial system.
I had such a hard time getting through to anyone at NYS Department of Labor when my claim was stuck. Ended up using this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me connected to an actual agent who could check my claim status. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI that shows how it works. Saved me hours of calling and getting hung up on.
Freya Christensen
If you're having trouble getting through to the NYS Department of Labor to file your claim or get answers about eligibility, I used a service called Claimyr that helps you reach actual agents by phone. They handle the calling and waiting for you - check out claimyr.com and their demo video at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI. Made the whole process way less stressful when I was trying to understand my benefits after getting laid off from my restaurant job.
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Omar Farouk
•interesting, never heard of that before. might be worth it since i can never get through on the phone
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Chloe Davis
The unemployment system is basically there to prevent economic catastrophe when people lose jobs. Without it, you'd have millions of people with zero income immediately after layoffs, which would crash consumer spending and make recessions way worse. So it's not just about helping individuals - it's about keeping the whole economy stable. The NYS Department of Labor uses it as both a social safety net and an economic stabilizer.
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