NYS Department of Labor claim - what type of unemployment describes factory workers displaced by automation?
I worked at a manufacturing plant for 8 years before they installed new automated systems and laid off half the workforce last month. When I filed my unemployment claim with NYS Department of Labor, they asked about the reason for separation and I wasn't sure how to categorize this. Is this considered structural unemployment since it's due to technology changes? I want to make sure I'm answering correctly on my weekly claims. The plant said they might have some positions available after retraining but nothing guaranteed. Has anyone else dealt with this type of situation when filing with NYS Department of Labor?
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Jungleboo Soletrain
This would be classified as structural unemployment - it's when jobs are eliminated due to technological changes or shifts in the economy that make certain skills obsolete. For your NYS Department of Labor claim purposes though, you'd typically select 'lack of work' or 'layoff' as your separation reason since that's what actually happened to your employment status.
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Anna Xian
•Thanks! So even though it's technically structural unemployment, I should still just put down layoff on my weekly claims?
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Rajan Walker
yeah same thing happened at my job, they brought in robots and got rid of like 30 people. i just put down layoff when i filed, didnt really matter what type of unemployment it was called
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Nadia Zaldivar
You're absolutely right that this is structural unemployment from an economic perspective. The key thing for your NYS Department of Labor claim is being honest about the circumstances - you were laid off due to technology implementation. If they offered retraining, make sure to mention that in your job search activities since NYS Department of Labor looks favorably on claimants pursuing skills development.
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Lukas Fitzgerald
•This is so frustrating... companies just replace people with machines and we're supposed to be grateful for maybe getting retrained for jobs that pay half as much. The whole system is broken.
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Nadia Zaldivar
•I understand the frustration, but focus on what you can control. Document any retraining opportunities and keep detailed job search logs for your weekly claims.
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Ev Luca
I had trouble reaching someone at NYS Department of Labor when I had questions about my claim status after a similar layoff. Ended up using 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. Really saved me time instead of calling over and over trying to get answers about my claim.
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Avery Davis
•How does that work exactly? I've been trying to call NYS Department of Labor for two weeks about my adjudication status with no luck.
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Ev Luca
•They basically handle the calling process for you and connect you when an agent becomes available. Much better than sitting on hold for hours or getting disconnected.
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Collins Angel
Structural unemployment is definitely the right term but like others said, just put layoff on your forms. I went through something similar when my company automated our entire accounting department. The good news is you should qualify for regular UI benefits since it wasn't due to misconduct or voluntary separation.
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