NYS Department of Labor unemployment rate calculations - how do we measure unemployment in NY?
I'm working on a research project about labor statistics and need to understand how NYS Department of Labor actually calculates unemployment rates. I know they release monthly reports but I'm confused about the methodology. Do they count everyone who files for UI benefits? What about people whose claims are in adjudication or those who exhausted benefits but are still looking for work? Also wondering if job search requirements affect these numbers since claimants have to prove they're actively seeking employment. Anyone familiar with how the state measures unemployment statistics?
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Landon Morgan
The NYS Department of Labor unemployment rate comes from the Bureau of Labor Statistics household survey, not from UI claims data. They survey about 3,100 households monthly in NY and ask about employment status. Someone is considered unemployed if they're jobless, available for work, and actively seeking employment in the past 4 weeks. People in adjudication or receiving benefits aren't automatically counted as unemployed in this survey.
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Ellie Perry
•That's really helpful! So the weekly claims we file with NYS Department of Labor are separate from how they measure the actual unemployment rate?
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Teresa Boyd
yeah this confused me too when i was on unemployment last year, thought everyone filing claims would be counted but apparently its more complicated than that
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Lourdes Fox
Exactly right about the survey method. There's actually a big difference between UI claimants and the official unemployment count. You can have people unemployed who never filed for benefits, and you can have people receiving UI who might not meet the survey definition of unemployment. The job search requirement for weekly claims is separate from the survey criteria, though both involve proving you're looking for work.
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Bruno Simmons
•This is why I got so frustrated trying to understand NYS Department of Labor statistics during my claim period. The numbers never seemed to match what I was seeing in the system.
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Aileen Rodriguez
If you're having trouble getting through to NYS Department of Labor for more detailed questions about their methodology, I used claimyr.com recently to reach an actual agent. They have a service that gets you connected without waiting on hold forever. There's a demo video at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI that shows how it works. Might be worth trying if you need official answers for your research.
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Ellie Perry
•Thanks for the suggestion! I might need to talk to someone directly if I can't find the technical documentation online.
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Zane Gray
the whole unemployment measurement system is pretty outdated IMO, doesnt capture gig workers or people who gave up looking very well
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Landon Morgan
Good point about gig workers. The survey has been updated to better capture non-traditional employment, but it's still not perfect. NYS Department of Labor also publishes alternative measures like U-6 which includes discouraged workers and those working part-time for economic reasons. For your research, you might want to look at both the standard U-3 rate and these broader measures.
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