Understanding natural unemployment rates during economic growth and contraction - NYS Department of Labor perspective
I'm trying to understand something about unemployment that's been bugging me since I started filing weekly claims with NYS Department of Labor. My economics professor mentioned that some unemployment happens even when the economy is doing well, and I'm wondering how this affects claim processing and job search requirements. Like, are there certain types of unemployment that NYS Department of Labor expects even during good economic times? I'm currently on standby status but trying to understand if my situation is considered 'normal' unemployment or something else. Does anyone know how NYS Department of Labor categorizes different types of unemployment claims?
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Ruby Garcia
Yes, there are several types of unemployment that occur naturally in both growing and contracting economies. Frictional unemployment happens when people are between jobs - like when someone quits to find better work or recent graduates are job hunting. Structural unemployment occurs when there's a mismatch between worker skills and available jobs, often due to technology changes. These types exist even during economic growth because the job market is always shifting. For NYS Department of Labor purposes, your claim type doesn't really change based on economic conditions - they focus more on your individual circumstances like why you lost your job and whether you're able and available for work.
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Isaiah Thompson
•That makes sense about frictional unemployment. So even if the economy is booming, NYS Department of Labor would still process claims for people switching jobs? I guess that explains why my job search requirements are the same regardless of how many jobs are available.
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Alexander Evans
yeah this is exactly what i'm dealing with right now!! been on unemployment for 2 months and there's tons of job postings but none match my skills from my old manufacturing job. the whole industry changed while i was at my last company for 15 years. nys department of labor keeps asking about my job search but most positions want different certifications now
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Ruby Garcia
•That's a perfect example of structural unemployment. You might want to look into NYS Department of Labor's training programs or see if your local workforce development office has retraining options. Sometimes they can approve training programs that count toward your job search requirements.
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Evelyn Martinez
If you're having trouble reaching NYS Department of Labor to ask about your specific claim type or job search requirements, I used a 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 that explains how it works. Really helpful when you need to discuss complex situations like whether your unemployment situation affects your claim processing.
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Benjamin Carter
•How does that even work? I've been trying to call NYS Department of Labor for weeks about my adjudication and can never get through. The hold times are insane.
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Evelyn Martinez
•It basically helps you navigate their phone system and get connected to an agent without sitting on hold forever. Was super helpful when I needed to clarify some confusing job search documentation requirements.
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Maya Lewis
The unemployment system is so messed up they probably don't even know the difference between these types! I've been dealing with NYS Department of Labor for months and half the time the agents give me different answers about the same question. One week they tell me my job search is fine, next week someone else says I'm not doing enough. Makes no sense!
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Isaac Wright
•omg yes!! inconsistent info is the worst part about dealing with unemployment claims
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Lucy Taylor
From what I understand, cyclical unemployment is what changes the most with economic conditions - that's when people lose jobs due to recessions or economic downturns. But like others said, frictional and structural unemployment stay pretty constant. NYS Department of Labor processes all these claims the same way though. Your weekly certification requirements and job search obligations don't change based on what type of unemployment economists would classify you as.
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Isaiah Thompson
•Thanks, that helps clarify things. So basically for my weekly claims, NYS Department of Labor doesn't really care about the economic theory behind why I'm unemployed - just whether I meet their specific requirements each week.
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