NYS Department of Labor - does having a college degree affect unemployment benefits or job search requirements?
I've been thinking about this lately since I got laid off from my marketing job 6 weeks ago. I have a bachelor's degree and I'm wondering if NYS Department of Labor expects me to only apply for jobs that require a degree? Like, am I allowed to apply for entry-level positions that don't require college education to meet my weekly job search requirements? I've been struggling to find anything in my field and there are tons of retail and warehouse jobs available but I'm worried if I take something like that it might affect my benefits somehow. Has anyone else with a degree dealt with this situation? What's the relationship between your education level and what NYS Department of Labor expects from you during your claim?
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A Man D Mortal
Your education level doesn't restrict what jobs you can apply for to meet the work search requirements. NYS Department of Labor just wants to see that you're actively looking for work - 3 job contacts per week. You can absolutely apply for positions below your education level, especially after you've been unemployed for a while. In fact, after about 13 weeks they expect you to expand your search to include jobs that pay less than your previous position.
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Zadie Patel
•That's really helpful, thank you! I was so worried I was doing something wrong by applying to these other jobs.
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Declan Ramirez
I had this same concern when I was on unemployment last year. I have a master's degree but ended up taking a job at Target to get back to work. NYS Department of Labor never questioned it and my benefits weren't affected at all. As long as you're documenting your job search properly and meeting the requirements, they don't care about overqualification.
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Emma Morales
•How did you handle being overqualified in interviews though? Did employers actually hire you?
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Declan Ramirez
•Some places were hesitant but I was honest about needing work and being committed to staying. Eventually someone gave me a chance.
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Katherine Hunter
wait so having more education doesn't get you more money in unemployment?? that seems unfair
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A Man D Mortal
•No, unemployment benefits are based on your earnings history from the past year, not your education level. Two people could have the same degree but completely different benefit amounts depending on what they were paid at their jobs.
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Lucas Parker
I'm going through this exact same thing right now! I have an engineering degree but got laid off in December and there's just nothing in my field. I've been applying to everything - retail, customer service, you name it. The job market is brutal right now regardless of education level. If you're having trouble getting through to NYS Department of Labor to ask questions about this stuff, I found this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that helps you actually reach a real person. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI that shows how it works. Saved me hours of trying to call.
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Zadie Patel
•Oh wow, I didn't know something like that existed. I've been trying to call for weeks about some adjudication issue and can never get through.
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Donna Cline
•Honestly the whole system is broken if you need to pay someone just to talk to them about your own benefits
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Harper Collins
From what I understand, NYS Department of Labor actually encourages people to be flexible with their job search, especially as unemployment goes on longer. The key thing is showing you're making a genuine effort to find work. Document everything in your job search log - even if you're applying for jobs that seem below your education level, you're still meeting the requirements.
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Dylan Wright
I'm in a similar boat - have a master's in communications and been unemployed for about 4 months now. What I've learned is that NYS DOL actually has a "suitable work" provision where they gradually lower the bar for what's considered suitable as your unemployment continues. Initially they expect you to look for work similar to your previous job, but after several weeks they expect you to broaden your search to include lower-paying positions. I've been applying to everything from my field down to administrative assistant roles, and my case worker told me this was exactly what they want to see. The important thing is showing active job search efforts - they care more about the quantity and consistency of your applications than whether each job perfectly matches your degree.
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