NYS Department of Labor question about frictional unemployment - taking time to find a job affects benefits?
I keep hearing about something called 'frictional unemployment' which is apparently when people voluntarily take time between jobs to find better positions. I'm currently on NYS Department of Labor benefits and wondering if this concept affects my claim status? I left my last retail job because I wanted to find something in my field (marketing) rather than just take the first thing available. My weekly claims ask about refusing work - does being selective about job applications count as refusing suitable work? I'm worried NYS Department of Labor might think I'm being too picky about positions.
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Anna Xian
Frictional unemployment is an economic term for the normal time people spend between jobs, but NYS Department of Labor doesn't use that terminology in their eligibility requirements. What matters for your benefits is that you're actively seeking work and available for suitable employment in your field. Being selective is okay as long as you're genuinely looking and not turning down jobs that match your skills and pay history. Document your job search activities thoroughly in case they request your job search log.
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TillyCombatwarrior
•Thanks, that helps clarify things. I've been applying to 3-4 marketing positions per week and keeping detailed records. Should I also be applying to retail jobs even though I'm trying to transition careers?
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Jungleboo Soletrain
Yeah I think frictional unemployment is just the fancy name for job searching basically. NYS Department of Labor cares more about whether you're actually looking than what economists call it lol
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Rajan Walker
You need to be careful about being too selective. NYS Department of Labor considers 'suitable work' based on your previous wages, skills, and how long you've been unemployed. Early in your claim period, you can be more selective about staying in your field. But if you've been claiming for several months, they expect you to expand your search to include positions that might not be your ideal but still use your skills. The key is documenting that you're genuinely seeking work - apply broadly but focus your serious efforts on positions that match your career goals.
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TillyCombatwarrior
•I've only been claiming for 6 weeks so far, so hopefully I still have some flexibility to focus on marketing roles. I'll make sure to keep expanding my search gradually.
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Nadia Zaldivar
Wait, I'm confused about this whole suitable work thing. If I was making $20/hour as a restaurant manager and there's a fast food job for $15/hour, do I have to take it or lose my benefits? This is stressing me out because I can't afford to take such a big pay cut.
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Anna Xian
•Generally no, you don't have to accept work that pays significantly less than your previous job, especially early in your claim period. NYS Department of Labor has guidelines about what constitutes suitable work based on your wage history.
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Lukas Fitzgerald
If you're having trouble getting through to NYS Department of Labor to ask specific questions about your situation, I had success using a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that helps you actually reach an agent by phone. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI showing how it works. I was stuck in adjudication for weeks and couldn't get anyone on the phone until I tried this. Really helped me get clarity on my job search requirements.
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TillyCombatwarrior
•Interesting, I might need to check that out if I run into issues. The NYS Department of Labor phone system is definitely frustrating to navigate.
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Ev Luca
I was in a similar situation last year when I was transitioning from teaching to corporate training. NYS Department of Labor was fine with me focusing on training and development roles for the first few months, but I did have to show I was networking and applying consistently. The important thing is demonstrating active job search efforts, not just waiting for the perfect opportunity to appear.
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