Trying to understand how many americans are on unemployment - NYS Department of Labor perspective?
I've been researching unemployment statistics for a project and keep seeing different numbers everywhere. Does anyone know how many people are currently receiving unemployment benefits nationally? I'm specifically curious about New York's portion since I'm dealing with my own NYS Department of Labor claim right now. The numbers I'm finding online seem inconsistent - some sites say 1.8 million nationally, others say closer to 1.3 million. Is there a reliable source for this data? Also wondering if the count includes people like me who are still in adjudication or just those actively receiving payments.
9 comments
Join the conversation
Levi Parker
The Bureau of Labor Statistics releases monthly unemployment data but it's important to distinguish between people who are unemployed (looking for work) versus those actually receiving unemployment insurance benefits. The UI recipient count is much lower. For current recipients, you can check the Department of Labor's weekly claims reports. New York typically has around 60,000-80,000 active claims at any given time, though this fluctuates seasonally.
0 coins
Savannah Weiner
•Thanks! That makes sense why the numbers vary so much. I was mixing up the unemployment rate with actual benefit recipients.
0 coins
Libby Hassan
i think its around 1.5 million people getting benefits nationwide right now but dont quote me on that lol. the numbers change every week based on new claims and people exhausting benefits
0 coins
Hunter Hampton
If you're looking for reliable data, go straight to the source - the US Department of Labor publishes weekly unemployment insurance claims data every Thursday. For NYS Department of Labor specifically, they post monthly statistics on their website. Keep in mind that people in adjudication like yourself aren't counted as active recipients until their claims are approved and they start receiving payments.
0 coins
Sofia Peña
•This is really helpful! I had no idea they updated the numbers weekly. Going to bookmark that report.
0 coins
Aaron Boston
The system is so broken that half the people who should be getting benefits can't even get through to file their claims properly. I've been trying to reach someone at NYS Department of Labor for weeks about my adjudication status. The real number of people who NEED unemployment is way higher than what's reported.
0 coins
Hunter Hampton
•If you're having trouble reaching NYS Department of Labor by phone, I found this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that helped me get through to an actual agent. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI showing how it works. Saved me hours of calling and getting busy signals.
0 coins
Aaron Boston
•Interesting, I'll check that out. At this point I'm willing to try anything to get some answers about my claim.
0 coins
Sophia Carter
Just wanted to add that the numbers also don't include people on standby status or those who've exhausted their regular benefits. So the actual impact of unemployment is broader than just the active UI recipient count.
0 coins