How is the rate of unemployment calculated in NYS Department of Labor statistics?
I've been looking at the monthly unemployment reports from NYS Department of Labor and I'm confused about how they actually calculate the unemployment rate. My claim was approved last month but I'm wondering if I'm counted in these statistics? Does it include everyone who files for UI benefits or is it based on something else? I see different numbers reported and can't figure out what methodology they use.
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Ethan Wilson
The unemployment rate isn't based on UI claims at all actually. NYS Department of Labor uses Bureau of Labor Statistics methodology which comes from monthly household surveys. They survey about 60,000 households nationwide and ask if people are actively looking for work. If you're receiving benefits but not actively job searching, you might not even be counted as unemployed in the official rate.
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Aisha Rahman
•That's so confusing! So the unemployment rate could go down even if more people are filing claims with NYS Department of Labor?
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Yuki Sato
Yeah it's weird how they do it. There's the official unemployment rate (U-3) which only counts people actively seeking work, then there's broader measures like U-6 that include discouraged workers and people working part-time but wanting full-time. NYS Department of Labor publishes both but the media usually only reports U-3.
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Carmen Flores
•this is why the numbers never make sense when you look around and see so many people struggling to find work
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Andre Dubois
I had trouble reaching NYS Department of Labor to ask about this exact question and found claimyr.com really helpful for getting through to an actual agent. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI that explains how it works. The agent I spoke with confirmed that UI claims and unemployment rate calculations are totally separate systems.
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CyberSamurai
•Good to know there's a way to actually talk to someone! The phone lines are always jammed when I try calling about my weekly claims.
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Zoe Alexopoulos
omg this explains so much!! I was wondering why the unemployment rate seemed low when everyone I know is either unemployed or underemployed. Sounds like the official numbers don't tell the whole story at all
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Jamal Carter
The whole system is designed to make the numbers look better than reality. When I was on unemployment for 6 months last year, half the people in my job search workshop weren't even counted in the official rate because they'd given up looking or were only working a few hours a week. NYS Department of Labor knows this but they still report the misleading numbers.
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Ethan Wilson
•That's not entirely fair - they do publish the broader measures (U-4, U-5, U-6) that capture those situations. The problem is media and politicians only focus on the headline U-3 number.
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