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I had such a hard time getting through to NYS Department of Labor to even ask these basic questions. Kept getting busy signals for weeks. Finally used this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that helped me get connected to an actual agent who walked me through the whole qualification process. There's even a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI showing how it works. Made the whole thing so much less stressful.
The unemployment system is just designed to deny as many people as possible. They make the rules so confusing and complicated that regular people can't navigate them. It's not about whether you actually need the benefits or deserve them - it's about protecting the state's money.
same boat here, mine's been pending since early January and I'm getting really anxious about rent money
The key thing to remember is that retail workers laid off for store closures have strong unemployment cases. Higher area unemployment rates might actually work in your favor since it demonstrates economic necessity rather than individual performance issues. Document everything and be persistent with follow-up.
Other things that can disqualify you: not registering for work search within required timeframe, turning down job offers that match your skills/pay level, not doing the required number of job searches per week, or having earnings that are too high while collecting. The job search requirements are pretty strict now - you need to do at least 3 searches per week and keep detailed records.
Aaron Boston
The system is so broken that half the people who should be getting benefits can't even get through to file their claims properly. I've been trying to reach someone at NYS Department of Labor for weeks about my adjudication status. The real number of people who NEED unemployment is way higher than what's reported.
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Hunter Hampton
•If you're having trouble reaching NYS Department of Labor by phone, I found this service called Claimyr (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 calling and getting busy signals.
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Aaron Boston
•Interesting, I'll check that out. At this point I'm willing to try anything to get some answers about my claim.
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Sophia Carter
Just wanted to add that the numbers also don't include people on standby status or those who've exhausted their regular benefits. So the actual impact of unemployment is broader than just the active UI recipient count.
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