Does unemployment benefits affect credit score or future employment background checks in NY?
I'm thinking about filing for unemployment benefits with NYS Department of Labor but I'm worried about how it might show up later. Does unemployment go on your credit report or show up when employers do background checks? I've been out of work for 2 weeks and really need the money but don't want it to hurt my chances of getting hired somewhere else. Has anyone had issues with this?
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Ashley Adams
No, unemployment benefits don't appear on credit reports at all. It's not a loan or debt, it's an insurance benefit you paid into while working. Employers also can't see that you collected unemployment in background checks unless you tell them. The NYS Department of Labor keeps that information confidential.
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Zoe Gonzalez
•That's a relief! So there's no downside to filing then? I was really stressed about this.
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Alexis Robinson
You should definitely file if you're eligible. The only time unemployment might come up is if you have gaps in your resume and they ask what you were doing during that time. But collecting benefits is totally normal and nothing to be ashamed of - that's what the system is for.
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Aaron Lee
•Exactly! I collected for 4 months last year and it never came up in any job interviews. Most employers understand people go through rough patches.
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Chloe Mitchell
Just make sure you keep up with your weekly claims and job search requirements while collecting. The NYS Department of Labor is pretty strict about that stuff and you don't want to get hit with an overpayment later.
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Zoe Gonzalez
•Good point - what exactly are the job search requirements? I want to make sure I do everything right.
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Michael Adams
I had trouble getting through to NYS Department of Labor when I needed to verify some information about my claim status. If you run into issues reaching them by phone, I found this service called Claimyr that helped me get connected to an actual agent. They have a website at claimyr.com and there's a demo video at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI showing how it works. Really saved me a lot of frustration with busy signals.
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Alexis Robinson
•Interesting, I might need to check that out. The NYS Department of Labor phone lines are always jammed.
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