Is unemployment at a 50 year low in NY - should I still file for benefits?
I keep hearing that unemployment is at a 50 year low but I just got laid off from my warehouse job last week. My neighbor said maybe I shouldn't even bother filing with NYS Department of Labor since everyone's hiring anyway. But I have bills to pay and need time to find something decent. Does the unemployment rate being low affect my benefits or make it harder to get approved? I worked for the same company for 18 months so I should qualify right?
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Evan Kalinowski
The unemployment rate being low doesn't affect your eligibility for benefits at all. If you lost your job through no fault of your own and meet the work history requirements, you should absolutely file with NYS Department of Labor. Low unemployment actually means more job opportunities when you do your required job search, which could work in your favor.
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The Boss
•That makes sense, I was worried they'd deny me because there are supposedly so many jobs available. I'll file tomorrow.
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Victoria Charity
Your neighbor is giving you terrible advice! File immediately - there's a waiting period anyway. Even if unemployment is low, that doesn't mean YOU have a job right now. Plus the job search requirement is only 3 contacts per week in NY, totally manageable even in a good job market.
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The Boss
•Good point about the waiting period, I didn't think about that. Better to get the process started now.
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Jasmine Quinn
I was in a similar situation last year when everyone was talking about how great the job market was. Still took me 6 weeks to find something that paid what I needed. Having those unemployment benefits made all the difference in not having to take the first crappy offer. If you're having trouble getting through to NYS Department of Labor on the phone, there's a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that helps you actually reach an agent. They have a demo video at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI that shows how it works.
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Oscar Murphy
•Never heard of that service but honestly anything that helps with those NYS Department of Labor phone lines would be worth it. I spent 4 hours on hold last month just to ask one question.
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Nora Bennett
yeah the unemployment rate being low is actually annoying because now they expect you to find work faster. but like the benefits are still there if you qualify so might as well use them while you look
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Ryan Andre
Low unemployment doesn't mean good jobs are easy to find - just that more people are working, often multiple part-time jobs with no benefits. Don't let statistics discourage you from claiming benefits you've earned through your work history. The NYS Department of Labor system exists for exactly these situations.
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The Boss
•You're absolutely right, most of the 'available jobs' I'm seeing are minimum wage retail with terrible schedules. I need time to find something in my field.
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