NYS Department of Labor - what was unemployment rate like in 2020 and how did it affect claims?
I'm trying to understand what the unemployment situation was like back in 2020 because I'm seeing some weird stuff on my claim history from that time period. My account shows some gaps and I can't figure out if it's from when everything shut down or if there's an error. Does anyone remember what the unemployment rate was in 2020 and how it affected NYS Department of Labor processing? I'm worried there might be an overpayment issue brewing.
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Ella Cofer
2020 was absolutely insane for unemployment. The rate went from around 4% to over 14% nationally in just a few months when everything shut down in March/April. NYS Department of Labor was completely overwhelmed - claims went from maybe 30,000 a week to over 300,000. The system basically crashed for weeks and they had to implement all kinds of emergency programs.
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Taylor To
•That explains a lot! My claim shows some weird dates from April 2020 that don't match when I actually filed. Should I be worried about this causing problems now?
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Kevin Bell
If you're seeing gaps or weird dates from 2020, definitely get that sorted out. NYS Department of Labor had so many system issues back then that a lot of people have incorrect information in their profiles. You can try calling but honestly, if you need to reach someone quickly about claim history issues, I used a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that actually got me through to an agent. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI showing how it works.
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Savannah Glover
•I remember those days - couldn't get through to NYS Department of Labor for WEEKS. The phone lines were constantly busy and the website kept crashing.
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Felix Grigori
2020 was a nightmare honestly. unemployment hit like 15% in some areas of NY. everyone i knew was filing claims and the whole system just fell apart. took months to get straightened out
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Felicity Bud
•Same here. I think a lot of people still have unresolved issues from that time period. The emergency programs created so much confusion with regular UI benefits that NYS Department of Labor is still sorting through the mess in 2025.
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