NYS Department of Labor seasonal unemployment - which type of unemployment is common industries such as tourism and agriculture?

This would be considered seasonal unemployment, which is actually a subset of structural unemployment. In NYS, workers in tourism (like the Adirondacks ski industry) and agriculture face predictable layoffs due to weather and seasonal demand patterns. The NYS Department of Labor recognizes this pattern - that's why seasonal workers can file for regular UI benefits during off-seasons. It's different from cyclical unemployment (recession-based) or frictional unemployment (job searching).

yeah my cousin works at a resort near Lake George and gets laid off every fall, files unemployment every year like clockwork. NYS Department of Labor system knows these patterns

Actually it's more nuanced than that. Seasonal unemployment is considered structural because it's built into the economy's structure - certain industries by nature operate seasonally. But in practice, when you file with NYS Department of Labor, you're just filing regular unemployment insurance. The classification matters more for economists and policy makers than for individual claimants. What matters for workers is that they meet the work history requirements and are available for suitable work during their claim period.

Wait I'm confused - if it's predictable why don't these workers just save money during the busy season instead of collecting unemployment? Seems like they should plan for this...

If you're having trouble reaching someone at NYS Department of Labor to clarify these definitions for your project, I found this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that helps people get through to actual agents. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI showing how it works. Might be worth checking out if you need to speak with someone official about unemployment classifications.

My dad worked construction which also has seasonal layoffs in winter and he always called it 'going on the dole' lol. But seriously, in NYS the construction and tourism industries have this pattern built into their business models. Workers expect it, employers plan for it, and the unemployment system handles it as routine. It's definitely structural unemployment in the textbook sense.

This is really helpful for understanding how seasonal unemployment works in practice! I'm actually curious about something related - does the NYS Department of Labor have different benefit amounts or durations for seasonal workers compared to regular unemployment claims? Or do they all go through the same calculation based on prior earnings? I'm wondering if the predictable nature of seasonal layoffs affects how benefits are administered, since unlike other types of unemployment, both the worker and employer know exactly when the layoff is coming.