NYS Department of Labor weekly claim rejected - very low unemployment rate causing issues?
My weekly claim got rejected this week and I'm confused about the reason. The notice mentioned something about low unemployment affecting eligibility but I don't understand what that means. I've been filing weekly claims for 6 weeks now without any problems. Has anyone else had their NYS Department of Labor claim rejected because unemployment is very low in their area? I worked at a restaurant that closed permanently so it's not like I quit. Really stressed about this because I need these benefits to pay rent.
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Liam O'Sullivan
Low unemployment rates can affect certain aspects of your claim, particularly if you're on standby status or if there are job search requirements. When unemployment is very low, NYS Department of Labor may increase scrutiny on whether you're actively seeking work or available for suitable employment. Check your account to see if there are any new job search requirements you need to complete.
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Mei Liu
•I've been doing my job searches every week like required. Could it be that they want me to expand my search area since there are more jobs available now?
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Amara Chukwu
this happened to my cousin last month! turns out when unemployment is really low they expect you to take jobs that might not be exactly what you want. she had to appeal and show she was being reasonable about job types
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Giovanni Conti
•That's partially correct. Very low unemployment can trigger additional reviews of your availability and job search efforts. You should call NYS Department of Labor to clarify the specific reason for rejection. If you're having trouble getting through, I used claimyr.com recently - it's a service that helps you reach unemployment agents by phone. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI showing how it works. Made it much easier than trying to call repeatedly.
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Fatima Al-Hashimi
WAIT THIS IS HAPPENING TO OTHER PEOPLE TOO?? I thought I was the only one! My claim got flagged for 'review' and they said something about labor market conditions. I've been freaking out for days thinking I did something wrong with my job search log!
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Liam O'Sullivan
•Don't panic! When unemployment rates are very low, it can result in increased scrutiny but it doesn't mean you're disqualified. The key is documenting that you're genuinely available for work and making reasonable job search efforts given current market conditions.
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NeonNova
I had something similar happen but it turned out to be about my availability hours. With very low unemployment, they're stricter about making sure you're available during normal business hours when most jobs are available. Had to update my availability in the system.
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