NYS Department of Labor unemployment - why is aerospace engineering unemployment so high in my area?
I've been tracking unemployment rates in my field and noticed that aerospace engineering has really high unemployment numbers compared to other engineering disciplines. I'm currently collecting NYS Department of Labor benefits after getting laid off from a defense contractor in March. My weekly claims keep getting processed but I'm wondering if this is a broader trend. Has anyone else in aerospace noticed this? I'm worried about finding another position in this field given how many of us seem to be out of work right now. The job search requirements are tough when there just aren't that many openings.
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Oliver Schmidt
Aerospace has always been cyclical but the recent downturn has been particularly brutal. Defense spending cuts and commercial aviation slowdown hit the industry hard. NYS Department of Labor data shows aerospace unemployment running about 3x higher than general engineering fields. Keep documenting your job search activities for your weekly claims - they're strict about the three contacts per week requirement.
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Amina Diop
•Thanks for confirming what I suspected. Are you seeing any uptick in hiring at all? I've been applying everywhere but most companies seem to have hiring freezes.
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Natasha Volkov
same here, got laid off from boeing supplier in january and still nothing. the job search log is getting depressing when you apply to the same 5 companies over and over
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Javier Torres
•Have you considered expanding your search to adjacent fields? Systems engineering, manufacturing engineering, even automotive companies value aerospace experience. It might help with your NYS Department of Labor job search requirements too - shows you're casting a wider net.
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Emma Wilson
I had similar issues reaching NYS Department of Labor agents when my claim went into adjudication for 'able and available' questions. Turns out there's a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that actually got me through to someone within an hour. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI that shows how it works. Might be worth checking out if you run into any issues with your weekly claims.
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Amina Diop
•Interesting, I'll bookmark that just in case. So far my claims have been straightforward but good to know there are options if things get complicated.
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QuantumLeap
THE WHOLE SYSTEM IS RIGGED AGAINST TECHNICAL WORKERS!!! They cut aerospace jobs then make us jump through hoops for unemployment benefits. Three job contacts per week when there's maybe three relevant openings per MONTH. NYS Department of Labor doesn't understand specialized fields at all.
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Oliver Schmidt
•I understand the frustration, but the job search requirements are the same across all fields. Document any networking activities, informational interviews, or even reaching out to recruiters - those all count toward your three contacts.
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Malik Johnson
Wait, are we talking about regular UI benefits or something else? I thought aerospace workers might qualify for some kind of trade adjustment assistance? My brother works in manufacturing and mentioned something about that when his plant closed...
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Oliver Schmidt
•Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) is possible if the layoffs were due to foreign competition, but most aerospace cuts lately are domestic budget-related. Regular unemployment insurance through NYS Department of Labor is what most people qualify for.
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Isabella Santos
hang in there! market will turn around eventually
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Vera Visnjic
I'm also in aerospace and got laid off from a propulsion systems company last month. The market is definitely tough right now - I've been tracking openings on Indeed and LinkedIn and there's maybe 2-3 new postings per week for our skill level in the whole NYC metro area. What's helped me with the NYS Department of Labor job search requirements is reaching out to former colleagues who moved to other companies, even if they don't have openings. Those networking contacts count toward your weekly requirement and sometimes they know about positions that aren't posted yet. Also consider defense contractors doing work outside traditional aerospace - some are hiring for space/satellite projects.
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