NYS Department of Labor actual unemployment rate vs what they report - confused about real numbers
I keep seeing different unemployment numbers everywhere and I'm trying to understand what actual unemployment really means according to NYS Department of Labor. When I look at my local area it seems like way more people are out of work than the 3.8% they're reporting for New York. My neighbor has been looking for work for 8 months and isn't counted anymore because his benefits ran out. My sister gave up job searching after 6 months and isn't in their statistics either. Are the NYS Department of Labor numbers just people actively collecting UI benefits? What about people who exhausted their 26 weeks or people who stopped filing weekly claims? I'm trying to figure out if the job market is actually better than it seems or if these official unemployment rates don't tell the whole story.
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Jamal Edwards
The official unemployment rate only counts people actively looking for work and available to work. If your neighbor stopped filing weekly claims or your sister gave up searching, they're not included in the statistics. NYS Department of Labor uses federal guidelines that define unemployment as actively seeking employment within the past 4 weeks. People who exhausted benefits but are still job searching do get counted, but those who stopped looking don't. There's also underemployment which tracks people working part-time who want full-time work.
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ThunderBolt7
•So the real number of people without adequate work is probably much higher than 3.8%? That explains why it feels so different from what I see around me.
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Mei Chen
Yeah the actual unemployment situation is way worse than those numbers suggest. I know tons of people who aren't counted anymore - some gave up, some are working gig jobs that barely pay anything, some are underemployed at part-time retail when they need full-time careers. The NYS Department of Labor surveys don't capture the real struggle out there.
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Liam O'Sullivan
•This is exactly what I've been saying! The numbers don't match reality at all.
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Amara Okonkwo
When I was having trouble reaching NYS Department of Labor about my claim status last year, I used a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that helped me get through to an actual agent. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI showing how it works. Might be useful if you need to speak with someone at NYS Department of Labor about unemployment definitions or your specific situation. I was stuck in adjudication for weeks and couldn't get answers through normal channels.
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ThunderBolt7
•Thanks, I might need that if I end up filing for unemployment myself. Good to know there are ways to actually reach someone.
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Giovanni Marino
omg yes this has been bugging me too!! like how can unemployment be so low when everyone i know is struggling to find decent work? my boyfriend has been doing doordash for 4 months because he cant find anything in his field but apparently hes not unemployed according to these stats??
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Jamal Edwards
Your boyfriend doing DoorDash would actually be counted as employed in the statistics, even if it's not sustainable income. The unemployment rate measures whether people have any work, not whether they have adequate work or work in their field. That's why the underemployment rate and labor force participation rate give a more complete picture of job market health.
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Giovanni Marino
•thats insane that making $200/week driving for apps counts as employed. the whole system is messed up
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Fatima Al-Sayed
I went through something similar when I was trying to understand why I wasn't eligible for extended benefits. The counselor at the workforce center explained that actual unemployment includes people actively searching, but there are also discouraged workers who aren't counted. Plus people working reduced hours, temporary work, or jobs way below their skill level. The 3.8% is just one piece of a bigger puzzle.
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