Is unemployment going up in NY - should I file now or wait?
I've been hearing rumors that unemployment rates are climbing again and I'm wondering if this affects when I should file my claim. I got laid off from my retail job last week and wasn't sure if I should file right away or if there's some advantage to waiting. Does anyone know if unemployment going up means it's harder to get approved or takes longer to process? I'm confused about the timing and don't want to mess this up.
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William Rivera
You should file immediately! There's no advantage to waiting - your claim is based on when you become unemployed, not overall unemployment rates. The longer you wait, the more potential benefits you lose. NYS Department of Labor processes claims based on individual eligibility, not economic trends.
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Kayla Jacobson
•Thanks! I was worried that if lots of people are filing it would slow things down. Should I expect delays right now?
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Grace Lee
Economic trends don't impact your individual claim processing. What matters is your work history and reason for separation. File online at my.ny.gov as soon as possible - you can't backdate benefits to before you file.
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Mia Roberts
•this is correct, I made the mistake of waiting 2 weeks to file and lost those benefits forever
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The Boss
Higher unemployment usually means more people calling NYS Department of Labor which makes it harder to reach someone by phone. I've been trying to get through for a week about my adjudication issue. The automated system is overloaded constantly.
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Evan Kalinowski
•I had the same problem reaching NYS Department of Labor agents until someone told me about Claimyr (claimyr.com). They helped me get through to speak with someone about my pending claim status. There's a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI that shows how it works. Saved me hours of calling.
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Victoria Charity
ugh I remember when unemployment went up during covid it was a nightmare trying to get help from anyone. the whole system gets backed up and they blame everything on high volume but never hire more people to handle it
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Jasmine Quinn
Wait so does higher unemployment mean I'm more likely to get denied? I'm worried because I quit my job due to unsafe working conditions and I've heard mixed things about whether that qualifies.
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William Rivera
•Your approval depends on your specific circumstances, not overall unemployment rates. Quitting for unsafe conditions can qualify if you documented the issues properly and tried to resolve them first.
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Max Reyes
Don't let economic rumors delay your filing! I work in HR and see this confusion all the time. Your unemployment benefits are calculated based on YOUR earnings history over the past 18 months, not current unemployment rates. The key dates that matter are: when you became unemployed (your "benefit year begin date") and when you file your claim. Every week you delay filing is a week of potential benefits you can't get back. The NY system doesn't care if 100 people file or 100,000 people file - your eligibility is determined by your individual work record and separation circumstances. File today at labor.ny.gov!
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