Does raising minimum wage increase unemployment claims at NYS Department of Labor?
I've been hearing a lot of talk about minimum wage increases affecting unemployment rates. My cousin works at a small restaurant and they're worried their hours might get cut when the wage goes up next year. If businesses start laying people off because of higher wages, does that mean more people filing for unemployment benefits with NYS Department of Labor? Has anyone seen this happen before when wages increased? I'm trying to understand if I should be worried about my own job security.
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Sophia Miller
It's complicated honestly. Some businesses do reduce hours or staff when wages go up, but others actually expand because workers have more spending money. If you do lose your job due to wage-related layoffs, you'd typically qualify for unemployment benefits through NYS Department of Labor as long as the layoff wasn't for misconduct. The key is making sure you file your claim right away and meet all the job search requirements.
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Elijah Jackson
•That makes sense. So even if it's because of wage increases, it would still count as a layoff for unemployment purposes?
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Mason Davis
my friend got laid off last time they raised wages at her store, she had no problem getting unemployment from NYS Department of Labor. took like 2 weeks to get approved
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Mia Rodriguez
From an economic perspective, studies show mixed results on minimum wage increases and unemployment. However, if you're concerned about potential layoffs, it's worth understanding your rights. Any layoff due to economic reasons (including wage-related cost cutting) typically qualifies you for unemployment benefits. Make sure you keep documentation of your employment and any communications about potential changes. The NYS Department of Labor adjudication process looks at whether the separation was voluntary or involuntary - economic layoffs are generally considered involuntary.
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Jacob Lewis
•What kind of documentation should I keep? Just pay stubs or other stuff too?
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Mia Rodriguez
•Keep pay stubs, any written communications about schedule changes or potential layoffs, your employee handbook, and notes about verbal conversations with supervisors regarding business changes. If you do get laid off, you'll need this for your unemployment claim.
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Amelia Martinez
I've been trying to get through to NYS Department of Labor for weeks about my claim status and it's impossible! The phone lines are always busy. If more people start filing because of wage-related layoffs, it's going to be even worse. This whole system is broken.
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Ethan Clark
•I had the same problem until someone told me about Claimyr (claimyr.com). They actually got me through to a real NYS Department of Labor agent in like 20 minutes. There's a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI that shows how it works. Saved me so much frustration trying to call myself.
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Amelia Martinez
•Really? That actually works? I'm desperate at this point, been calling for three weeks straight.
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Mila Walker
Whether wages go up or down the big corporations always find ways to screw over workers. They'll use any excuse to cut jobs and then act like it's because of government policy. The unemployment system gets flooded and then they blame that on the wage increase too. It's all connected to keep working people down.
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Mason Davis
yeah but at least if you lose your job you can get unemployment. better than nothing i guess
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