How much does NYS Department of Labor spend on unemployment benefits annually?
I've been trying to find actual numbers on how much the state spends on unemployment benefits each year. My cousin works in government finance and mentioned that the unemployment trust fund has been under pressure lately, but I can't find concrete spending figures anywhere on the NYS Department of Labor website. Does anyone know where to find this information? I'm curious about both regular UI payments and administrative costs. Also wondering if the spending has changed significantly since 2020.
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Amara Eze
The NYS Department of Labor publishes annual reports that include trust fund data. For 2024, the unemployment insurance trust fund paid out approximately $2.8 billion in regular benefits. This doesn't include administrative costs, which are separate. You can find detailed breakdowns in their quarterly financial reports under the 'Trust Fund Status' section on their website.
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Liam McGuire
•Thanks! I found the quarterly reports section. The numbers are pretty staggering when you see them all laid out like that.
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Giovanni Ricci
i remember reading somewhere that ny spends way more than most states but idk if thats per capita or total... our benefit amounts are higher than alot of places so makes sense
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NeonNomad
The spending varies dramatically year to year based on unemployment rates. During recessions, the trust fund can go negative and the state has to borrow from federal government. The administrative costs alone for NYS Department of Labor operations are around $400-500 million annually, separate from benefit payments. The trust fund is funded by employer taxes, so when claims spike, there's often pressure to raise those tax rates.
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Fatima Al-Hashemi
•Wait, so if too many people file claims, employers have to pay more in taxes? That seems like it would discourage hiring during recoveries.
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NeonNomad
•Exactly right. It's one of the built-in tensions in the unemployment system. Higher claims lead to higher employer costs, which can slow job creation.
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Dylan Mitchell
I've been dealing with NYS Department of Labor for months trying to get through their phone system to check on my claim status. If you're having trouble reaching them, I found this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that actually gets you connected to real agents. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI showing how it works. Saved me hours of busy signals and getting disconnected.
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Sofia Martinez
•How much does something like that cost though? I'm already stressed about money while waiting for my benefits.
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Dylan Mitchell
•It's worth checking out their site for pricing, but honestly the time savings alone made it worthwhile for me. I was spending 3-4 hours a day trying to get through.
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Dmitry Volkov
The whole system is such a mess honestly... they spend billions but cant even keep their phone lines working properly or process claims without months of delays. Where's all that administrative money going??
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Dmitry Volkov
•I feel your frustration. From what I understand, a big chunk of those administrative costs goes to maintaining legacy computer systems that are decades old. The state has been trying to modernize but it's expensive and complicated. Still doesn't excuse the poor customer service experience though.
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