Is unemployment worth it or should I just find any job? NYS Department of Labor benefits question
I've been laid off for about 6 weeks now and finally got approved for unemployment benefits through NYS Department of Labor. I'm getting $420 a week which honestly isn't much compared to my old salary of $65k. The job search requirements are pretty intense - I have to apply to 3 jobs per week and document everything for my weekly claims. Some of my friends are telling me I should just take the first retail or restaurant job I can find instead of dealing with all the NYS Department of Labor paperwork and restrictions. But others say I should stick it out and use the time to find something in my field (marketing). What do you think? Is it worth staying on unemployment or should I just grab whatever work I can get?
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Zoe Christodoulou
It really depends on your financial situation and how long you think it'll take to find a job in your field. The weekly benefit amount might seem low, but remember you're also building your work search network while collecting. The 3 job applications per week requirement actually forces you to stay active in your search, which is good. If you can afford to be selective for a few more weeks, I'd say stick with the unemployment benefits and focus on marketing positions.
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Andre Moreau
•That's a good point about staying active. I was worried the job search requirements were just busywork but you're right that it keeps me motivated.
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Jamal Thompson
take any job you can get!!! the economy is terrible right now and you never know when NYS Department of Labor might cut your benefits or find some reason to disqualify you. I've been unemployed for 4 months and still haven't found anything decent. at least with a job you have guaranteed income
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Mei Chen
•I understand the anxiety, but rushing into the wrong job can actually hurt your career long-term. The key is using unemployment strategically - if you're in a field where there are opportunities, taking a minimum wage job might make it harder to interview for better positions.
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CosmicCadet
I was in a similar situation last year when I got laid off from my accounting job. Stayed on unemployment for about 3 months while searching for something in my field. The NYS Department of Labor system was frustrating at times - had to deal with an adjudication period when they questioned why I left my previous job. But I eventually found a position that paid 15% more than my old one. Sometimes patience pays off. That said, if money is tight, there's no shame in taking temporary work while continuing your search.
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Andre Moreau
•How did you handle the adjudication? I'm worried something like that could happen to me and delay my benefits.
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CosmicCadet
•It was stressful but I had all my documentation ready. Make sure you keep records of everything from your layoff - the notice, any severance info, HR contact details. The adjudication took about 2 weeks to resolve once I submitted everything they needed.
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Liam O'Connor
honestly the NYS Department of Labor phone system is so bad that if you run into any issues you'll spend hours trying to reach someone. I had a problem with my weekly claim filing and couldn't get through for days. Finally used this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that helped me get connected to an actual agent. They have a video demo that shows how it works: https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI. Might be worth bookmarking in case you need to talk to someone at NYS Department of Labor.
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Amara Adeyemi
•Never heard of that service before but the phone situation is definitely frustrating. Thanks for sharing!
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Giovanni Gallo
Stick with unemployment if you can afford it! I made the mistake of taking a crappy retail job too quickly after getting laid off and it made interviewing for real positions almost impossible. Plus once you're working, you can't collect unemployment anymore even if the new job doesn't work out (well, you can but you'd have to reapply and qualify all over again).
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