Confused about the 3 types of unemployment on NYS Department of Labor forms - can someone explain?
I'm filling out paperwork for my unemployment claim and keep seeing references to different 'types of unemployment' but I'm really confused about what they mean. The NYS Department of Labor website mentions three main categories but doesn't explain them clearly. I was laid off from my retail job last month due to budget cuts - does that make me a specific type? I want to make sure I'm answering everything correctly on my weekly claims. Can anyone break down what these 3 types actually are and which one applies to my situation?
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Ally Tailer
The three main types are: 1) Structural unemployment (when your skills don't match available jobs), 2) Frictional unemployment (temporary between jobs), and 3) Cyclical unemployment (due to economic downturns). Your situation sounds like cyclical since it was budget-related layoffs. For NYS Department of Labor purposes though, they mainly care about whether you're able, available, and actively seeking work regardless of the economic theory behind it.
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Callum Savage
•Thank you! That makes more sense. So for my weekly claims I should just focus on showing I'm actively job searching?
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Aliyah Debovski
honestly i think youre overthinking this... when i filed my claim they never asked me to categorize what type of unemployment i had. just answer the questions about why you lost your job and if youre looking for work
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Miranda Singer
•You're right that the weekly claims don't explicitly ask about types, but understanding them helps with the job search requirement. NYS Department of Labor expects you to be looking for suitable work, which can vary depending on why you became unemployed.
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Cass Green
I was struggling with getting through to anyone at NYS Department of Labor to ask similar questions about my claim status. Kept getting disconnected after waiting on hold forever. Finally found this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that actually got me connected to a real person. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI showing how it works. Might be worth checking out if you need to speak with someone directly about your specific situation.
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Finley Garrett
•How much does something like that cost? I'm already tight on money waiting for my claim to process...
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Cass Green
•I was worried about that too but it was totally worth it to finally get answers. Way better than spending hours trying to get through on my own.
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Madison Tipne
The whole system is so confusing! I've been filing claims for 6 weeks and still don't fully understand half the terminology they use. At least you're asking questions - I just guessed on most of mine at first.
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