What is educated unemployment and how does NYS Department of Labor handle overqualified claims?
I have a master's degree in engineering and lost my job 6 weeks ago. I've been applying everywhere but keep getting rejected for being overqualified for entry-level positions, and there aren't many senior roles available right now. My NYS Department of Labor weekly claims keep asking about job search activities, but I'm worried they'll think I'm being too picky if I only apply to jobs matching my education level. Is there something called educated unemployment that affects how they evaluate my claim? Should I be applying to minimum wage jobs just to show I'm looking, even though they won't hire me anyway?
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Ravi Choudhury
Yes, educated unemployment is a real thing - it's when people with advanced degrees struggle to find work matching their qualifications. NYS Department of Labor understands this situation. You should focus your job search on positions that reasonably match your skills and education level. Document all your applications in your job search log, including the positions you applied for and why they align with your background. Don't waste time applying for jobs that clearly won't hire you - that actually looks worse than being selective.
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Isabella Silva
•That's helpful, thanks. Should I mention in my weekly claims that I'm focusing on engineering positions specifically?
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Freya Andersen
dude i have the same problem with my bachelor's degree... been out of work for 2 months and everyone says im overqualified. its so frustrating!!!
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Omar Farouk
I had this exact issue last year with my MBA. The key is documenting everything properly for NYS Department of Labor. Keep detailed records of your job search activities, including networking events, professional development, and applications to appropriate-level positions. You can also include consulting or freelance work in your search activities. If you get any interviews that don't pan out because of overqualification, document those too. NYS Department of Labor recognizes that educated workers face unique challenges in the job market.
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Isabella Silva
•Did you have any issues with your weekly claim certification during this period? I'm nervous about getting flagged for not accepting suitable work.
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CosmicCadet
The unemployment system is broken for people like us. I've been dealing with this for months and NYS Department of Labor keeps pushing me to take jobs that pay 60% less than what I was making. Meanwhile they wonder why educated people are leaving the state...
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Chloe Harris
If you're having trouble reaching NYS Department of Labor to discuss your specific situation, I found a service called Claimyr that helped me get through to an actual agent when I was dealing with questions about my job search requirements. You can check it out at claimyr.com - they have a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI that shows how it works. It was really helpful when I needed to explain my educated unemployment situation directly to someone at NYS Department of Labor.
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Diego Mendoza
•How much does something like that cost? I'm already stretched thin financially.
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Anastasia Popova
yeah this is why I went back to school... better to be a student than deal with this mess lol
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