NYS Department of Labor not counting discouraged workers - what is hidden unemployment doing to real numbers?
I've been trying to understand why the unemployment rates seem so low when I know tons of people who've given up looking for work entirely. Found out there's something called 'hidden unemployment' where people who want jobs but stopped actively searching don't get counted in the official NYS Department of Labor statistics. My neighbor hasn't filed a weekly claim in months because she got tired of the job search requirements and constant rejections. But she definitely wants to work! How many people like this are out there that aren't showing up in the unemployment numbers? It feels like the real picture is way worse than what gets reported.
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A Man D Mortal
You're absolutely right about this being a real issue. Hidden unemployment includes discouraged workers (stopped looking), underemployed people working part-time who want full-time, and those in temporary jobs while seeking permanent work. The NYS Department of Labor's official unemployment rate only counts people actively filing claims and meeting job search requirements. The Bureau of Labor Statistics actually tracks a broader measure called U-6 that includes some of these hidden categories, and it's typically 3-4 percentage points higher than the standard rate.
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Declan Ramirez
this is exactly what happened to me last year! I was on unemployment for 6 months, doing the weekly claims and job search log, but after constant rejections I just got so depressed I stopped filing. Technically I wanted work but couldn't handle another rejection email. The system basically forces you to either keep jumping through hoops or disappear from the statistics entirely.
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Emma Morales
•I totally get this. When you're dealing with NYS Department of Labor job search requirements while facing constant rejection, it becomes emotionally devastating. The system doesn't account for the psychological impact of prolonged unemployment. Have you considered reaching out to a career counselor or checking if there are any retraining programs available?
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Katherine Hunter
The gig economy makes this even more complicated! I know people driving for rideshare or doing freelance work just to survive, but they're underemployed and still looking for steady full-time jobs. They don't qualify for unemployment benefits but they're definitely not 'employed' in any meaningful sense. The traditional unemployment metrics are completely outdated for today's economy.
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Zadie Patel
•Yes! And those people often can't even file for unemployment because their gig work income disqualifies them or makes the weekly claim process too complicated to navigate.
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Lucas Parker
I had a similar situation trying to get through to someone at NYS Department of Labor about this exact issue. Could never get anyone on the phone to explain how the statistics work. Finally used a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that helped me get connected to an actual agent. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI showing how it works. The agent was able to explain that there are different unemployment measures but the media only reports the most basic one.
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A Man D Mortal
•That's really helpful to know there's a way to actually talk to someone about these policy questions. The lack of transparency around how these numbers are calculated definitely contributes to the confusion.
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Donna Cline
my sister in law hasnt worked in 2 years but stopped looking because childcare costs more than she could make at minimum wage jobs... where does she fit in these statistics?? probably nowhere which is crazy
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A Man D Mortal
•Your sister-in-law would likely be classified as 'not in the labor force' rather than unemployed, which is another category that hides economic hardship. People who want to work but can't due to structural barriers like childcare costs essentially become invisible in unemployment statistics.
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