NYS Department of Labor unemployment trends - is unemployment going up or down in 2025?
I keep seeing conflicting reports about whether unemployment is going up or down this year. My weekly claims have been approved consistently but I'm worried about how long benefits will last if more people are filing. Has anyone else noticed changes in processing times or seen updates from NYS Department of Labor about current unemployment rates? I'm trying to figure out if I should be more aggressive with my job search or if the market is actually improving.
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Nia Jackson
NYS Department of Labor releases monthly unemployment statistics on their website. From what I've seen, the rate has been fluctuating between 3.8% and 4.2% this year, which is relatively stable. Your benefit duration isn't affected by overall unemployment trends - regular UI is still 26 weeks max regardless of the state's unemployment rate.
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Luca Romano
•Thanks for clarifying! I was confusing regular benefits with the old pandemic extensions that used to be tied to unemployment rates.
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NebulaNova
I've been filing weekly claims since December and haven't noticed any delays in payments. If anything, the online system seems to be running smoother than last year. The job market in my area actually seems decent - lots of postings for my field.
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Mateo Hernandez
honestly the whole system is messed up anyway, doesn't matter if unemployment goes up or down when you can't even get through to talk to someone at NYS Department of Labor when there's an issue with your claim
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Aisha Khan
•If you're having trouble reaching them by phone, I had success using Claimyr recently. It's a service that helps you get through to NYS Department of Labor agents - check out claimyr.com and they have a demo video at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI. Way easier than sitting on hold for hours.
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Ethan Taylor
The unemployment rate going up or down doesn't really affect individual claims much. What matters more is keeping up with your job search requirements and filing your weekly claims on time. Focus on what you can control.
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Yuki Ito
I think I read somewhere that unemployment was supposed to go down this year but then some layoffs in tech happened? Not sure how accurate that was though. My cousin in Buffalo said their claim got extended somehow but I don't know if that's related to unemployment rates or something else entirely.
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Nia Jackson
•Regular unemployment benefits don't get extended based on state unemployment rates anymore. Your cousin might be thinking of a different program or possibly confused about their benefit year ending and starting a new claim.
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Natasha Petrova
I've been tracking the NYS Department of Labor data pretty closely since I started my claim in January. The unemployment rate has actually been trending slightly downward over the past few months - we're sitting around 3.9% as of the latest report. Processing times for weekly certifications have been consistent for me (usually processed within 2-3 days), so I don't think increased volume is really impacting the system right now. That said, I'd still recommend staying proactive with your job search regardless of the trends - the sooner you find something, the better, especially since we're heading into summer when some seasonal opportunities might open up.
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