NYS Department of Labor agent said my claim involves friction unemployment - what does this mean?
I finally got through to someone at NYS Department of Labor after my claim was stuck in adjudication for 2 weeks. The agent mentioned something about 'friction unemployment' when explaining my situation but didn't really elaborate. I left my job to move closer to family and found new work within 3 weeks, but there was obviously a gap where I needed benefits. Is friction unemployment a specific category they use? Does it affect how they process claims or the amount I can receive? I'm worried this might complicate things since the agent seemed to be making notes about it.
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Omar Fawaz
Friction unemployment is an economic term that describes temporary unemployment that occurs when people are between jobs - like when you're transitioning from one position to another. It's actually considered normal and healthy for the economy. In your case with NYS Department of Labor, they probably noted it because your unemployment was brief and voluntary due to relocation. This shouldn't negatively impact your claim processing, but they may have specific documentation requirements for voluntary separations.
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Freya Pedersen
•That makes me feel better! I was worried it was some kind of red flag. Do you know if there's anything special I need to do for the voluntary separation part?
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Chloe Anderson
never heard them use that term specifically but makes sense.. i had a similar gap between jobs last year and didnt have any issues with my claim
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Diego Vargas
The key thing with voluntary separations is proving you had good cause for leaving. Moving for family reasons can qualify, but you'll need to document that the move was necessary and that you made reasonable efforts to find work in your new location. Keep records of your job applications and any communication about the relocation. NYS Department of Labor will want to see you were actively seeking work during your unemployment period.
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Freya Pedersen
•I did keep all my job application emails and I have documentation about the family situation. Should I upload those to my.ny.gov or wait for them to request it?
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Anastasia Fedorov
Just went through something similar trying to reach NYS Department of Labor about my claim status. Spent hours on hold and kept getting disconnected. Finally found this service called Claimyr at claimyr.com that actually got me through to an agent in like 20 minutes. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI showing how it works. Might be worth checking out if you need to follow up about the friction unemployment documentation stuff.
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StarStrider
•How much does that cost though? I'm already dealing with the stress of being between jobs and don't want to spend money I don't have.
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Anastasia Fedorov
•I was worried about the same thing but honestly it was worth it just to get answers instead of spending entire days trying to get through. Way less stressful than the regular phone system.
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Sean Doyle
FRICTION UNEMPLOYMENT?? They just make up new terms to confuse us! I swear NYS Department of Labor creates these categories just to make it harder to get benefits. Been dealing with their BS for months and every agent tells me something different.
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Omar Fawaz
•Actually friction unemployment is a standard economic concept that's been around for decades, not something NYS Department of Labor invented. It just means short-term unemployment during job transitions.
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Zara Rashid
omg yes!! this gives me hope because I'm in almost the exact same situation - had to quit my old job for a family emergency and found new work pretty quickly but needed UI for those few weeks in between
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