NYS Department of Labor claim approved but worried about high minimum wage affecting future job prospects
Just got my unemployment claim approved after 6 weeks of waiting, which is a huge relief. But I'm starting to worry about finding work again because I keep hearing that New York's high minimum wage might actually make it harder for employers to hire people like me who've been out of work for a while. I was making $16/hour at my last retail job before I got laid off in December. Now with the minimum wage increases, I'm wondering if small businesses are just going to hire fewer people or be more picky about who they hire. Has anyone else noticed this connection between the wage laws and how hard it is to find work? I need to start my job search soon to meet the NYS Department of Labor requirements but I'm getting discouraged before I even start.
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Fatima Al-Mazrouei
I understand your concern, but don't let economic theories discourage you from your job search. The NYS Department of Labor requires you to make at least three job contacts per week and keep a detailed log. Focus on meeting those requirements rather than worrying about macro-economic factors you can't control. Many businesses are still hiring, especially in retail and hospitality. The key is to be persistent and document everything properly for your weekly claims.
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Giovanni Gallo
•You're right, I should focus on what I can control. Do you know if the job search log needs to include the specific wage they're offering? Some postings don't list the pay rate.
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Dylan Wright
honestly i think youre overthinking this... ive been looking for work for 2 months and there are plenty of jobs out there, especially if youre willing to do different types of work. the minimum wage thing is more of a political talking point than something that actually affects regular people trying to find jobs
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NebulaKnight
•But what if they're right though? I've been applying everywhere and getting way fewer callbacks than I expected. Maybe employers really are being more selective now?
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Sofia Ramirez
I had similar worries when I was on unemployment last year. Here's what worked for me - I couldn't get through to NYS Department of Labor on the phone for weeks to ask about job search requirements, so I used this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that actually got me connected to an agent within a day. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI that shows exactly how it works. The agent was able to clarify all my questions about job search documentation and helped me understand exactly what counts toward my weekly requirements. Sometimes getting direct answers from NYS Department of Labor staff is the best way to ease your anxiety about the process.
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Giovanni Gallo
•That's interesting, I didn't know there were services that could help you get through to them. I've been trying to call for days with no luck.
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Dmitry Popov
Look, the whole system is rigged anyway. They raise the minimum wage to make themselves look good, then small businesses can't afford to hire as many people, unemployment goes up, and guess who suffers? Regular working people like us. Meanwhile the politicians pat themselves on the back for 'helping workers' while we're all fighting for fewer jobs. It's a joke.
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Ava Rodriguez
•I mean, I get the frustration but at least we have unemployment benefits to fall back on. Could be worse.
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Miguel Ortiz
This reminds me of when I was unemployed back in 2019 before all the wage increases really kicked in. I remember thinking it would be easier to find work then, but honestly it was still pretty competitive. I think every generation thinks the job market was better before whatever economic changes happened during their time. The important thing is just to keep applying and stay positive about it.
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