NYS Department of Labor U-6 unemployment rate - how does this affect my benefits?

U-6 is just a statistical measure the Bureau of Labor Statistics uses - it won't affect your NYS Department of Labor benefits at all. It's the 'underemployment' rate that includes people working part-time who want full-time work, plus discouraged workers. Your benefit amount and duration are based on your earnings history and the standard unemployment rate, not U-6.

yeah the u-6 thing is confusing, i thought it was some new type of claim when i first heard about it too. your benefits are based on what you earned in your base period, thats it

The U-6 rate is what economists call the 'real' unemployment picture because it captures people who are underemployed or have given up looking. Regular unemployment (U-3) only counts people actively seeking work. For NYS Department of Labor purposes though, your weekly claim certification and job search requirements stay the same regardless of which rate gets reported in the news.

I was having trouble reaching NYS Department of Labor to ask about benefit extensions and found this service called Claimyr that actually got me through to an agent. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI that shows how it works. Might be helpful if you need to speak with someone directly about your claim status rather than trying to figure out these economic indicators on your own. Check out claimyr.com if the phone lines are giving you trouble.

The whole unemployment statistics system is so confusing anyway. Like why do they need 6 different ways to measure the same thing?? Just tell us how many people don't have jobs!