How does unemployment affect people mentally and financially - NYS Department of Labor experience
I've been on unemployment for about 6 months now after getting laid off from my marketing job, and I'm really struggling with how this whole experience affects every part of your life. The financial stress is obvious - even with NYS Department of Labor benefits I'm only getting about 60% of what I used to make, so I had to move back in with my parents at 28. But what I wasn't prepared for was the mental toll. The constant job searching, the weekly claims every Sunday, waiting for adjudication on issues that pop up randomly - it's exhausting. Some days I spend 8 hours applying to jobs and feel like I accomplished nothing. Has anyone else dealt with the psychological impact of being unemployed? How do you stay motivated when the whole process feels endless?
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Ethan Brown
The psychological impact is real and often underestimated. Unemployment can trigger anxiety, depression, and feelings of worthlessness. The structure that work provides - routine, social interaction, sense of purpose - all disappears. NYS Department of Labor requires job search activities which can help maintain some structure, but it's not the same. Consider using free mental health resources available through 211 or your local library. Also, try to separate your worth as a person from your employment status - easier said than done, I know.
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GalacticGladiator
•Thank you for validating this. I thought I was just being weak or something. The job search requirement actually makes me more anxious because I feel like I'm failing every day when I don't get responses.
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Yuki Yamamoto
Been there. What helped me was treating job searching like a part-time job - set specific hours, take breaks, have a dedicated workspace. Also, use your unemployment time for skills development. NYS Department of Labor has partnerships with workforce development programs that are free for UI recipients. I took online courses during my 4 months unemployed and actually came out with better skills than when I started.
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Carmen Ruiz
•This is great advice! I used my unemployment period to get certified in project management and it definitely helped me land a better job than I had before.
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Andre Lefebvre
ugh tell me about it!!! i've been unemployed for 3 months and my confidence is SHOT. every rejection email feels personal even though i know it's not. plus dealing with NYS Department of Labor bureaucracy when issues come up with your claim - like when they randomly decided to review my job separation and put everything on hold for 2 weeks. it's like they don't understand people have bills to pay!!
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Ethan Brown
•The adjudication delays are frustrating but try to remember they're required by law to investigate certain separations. If you're having trouble reaching them about claim issues, some people have had success with Claimyr (claimyr.com) - it's a service that helps you get through to actual NYS Department of Labor agents. There's a demo video at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI showing how it works.
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Zoe Dimitriou
The social isolation hits hard too. When you're working you don't realize how much of your social interaction comes from coworkers. Now I go days without talking to anyone except when I call about my weekly claim or job interviews. Started volunteering just to have human contact and it's helped my mental state a lot.
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GalacticGladiator
•I never thought about volunteering! That's actually a really good idea. Does it interfere with the work search requirements?
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Yuki Yamamoto
•Volunteering doesn't count toward your required job contacts but it can provide networking opportunities and references. Just make sure you're still available for work as required by NYS Department of Labor.
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Carmen Ruiz
The financial stress ripples into everything - relationships, health, self-esteem. I started having panic attacks about money which I'd never experienced before unemployment. Had to learn budgeting skills I never needed when I had steady income.
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QuantumQuest
yeah unemployment definitely changes you as a person, not gonna lie. been through it twice now and both times it took months after getting a new job to feel 'normal' again. the constant uncertainty and rejection does something to your brain chemistry i think
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