How low is unemployment right now in NY - still worth filing weekly claims?
I keep hearing about how low unemployment rates are right now but I'm still struggling to find work after being laid off 6 weeks ago. Filed my initial claim with NYS Department of Labor and been doing my weekly certifications but starting to wonder if I should just focus on job hunting instead of dealing with all the requirements. Are people actually finding jobs quickly in this market or is the low unemployment rate just misleading? My benefits are only $420/week which barely covers rent.
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Jessica Nolan
The unemployment rate being low doesn't mean finding a job is automatic. You should definitely keep filing your weekly claims while job searching - that's actually required anyway. NYS Department of Labor expects you to do both. The low rate just means fewer people are collecting benefits overall, but individual job searches still take time depending on your field and location.
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Leo McDonald
•That makes sense, I guess I was thinking about it wrong. I'll keep doing my weekly certifications then.
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Angelina Farar
Low unemployment rate just means most people who want jobs have them, but it doesn't account for underemployment or people who gave up looking. Keep filing your claims and document your job search activities - you need 3 work search contacts per week anyway for NYS Department of Labor requirements. Don't let statistics discourage you from getting benefits you're entitled to.
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Sebastián Stevens
been unemployed for 3 months and yeah the job market is weird right now, lots of postings but companies seem really picky
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Bethany Groves
•Same experience here! Tons of job listings but most seem to be ghost postings or they want someone with very specific experience.
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KingKongZilla
I had trouble reaching NYS Department of Labor to ask about this exact question last month. Kept getting busy signals and their callback system never worked. Finally used this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that actually got me through to a real person in like 10 minutes. They have a demo video at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI showing how it works. The agent explained that I should keep filing regardless of unemployment rates since my job search could take months.
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Leo McDonald
•Interesting, never heard of that service. Might be worth trying since I can never get through to anyone at NYS Department of Labor either.
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Rebecca Johnston
Low unemployment rate is BS anyway! Companies are just being super picky and want to pay garbage wages. I've been looking for 4 months with a college degree and can't find anything decent. The whole system is rigged to make it look better than it actually is for regular working people.
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