What is high unemployment rate and how does it affect NYS Department of Labor claim processing?
I keep hearing about high unemployment rates on the news but I'm not sure what that actually means for someone like me who just got laid off from my warehouse job last month. Does a high unemployment rate make it harder to get approved for benefits through NYS Department of Labor? I filed my claim two weeks ago and it's still pending. My friend said when unemployment is high the system gets backed up but I don't know if that's true. Also wondering if high unemployment affects how long I can collect benefits or if there are any special programs when the rate gets really high?
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Freya Christensen
High unemployment rate means a large percentage of people who want to work can't find jobs. It's calculated as unemployed people divided by total labor force. When it's high (like above 6-7%), it usually means the economy is struggling. For NYS Department of Labor claims, high unemployment can actually make the system more lenient in some ways - they may extend benefit periods or waive certain job search requirements temporarily. But yes, it also means more people filing claims so processing can be slower.
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Ravi Malhotra
•That makes sense about more people filing slowing things down. Do you know what the current rate is in New York? And does it affect the weekly benefit amount I might get?
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Omar Hassan
Your benefit amount is based on your earnings history, not the unemployment rate. But during periods of high unemployment, Congress sometimes authorizes extended benefits beyond the normal 26 weeks. Right now you'd get regular UI benefits - check your my.ny.gov account to see if your monetary determination has been posted yet. If your claim is still pending after 2 weeks, there might be an issue that needs to be resolved.
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Chloe Robinson
•I had trouble getting through to NYS Department of Labor when I needed to resolve a pending issue. Ended up using this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that helped me get connected 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.
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Ravi Malhotra
•Thanks, I'll check that out if I can't get through on my own. Still waiting to hear back about my claim status.
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Diego Chavez
yeah high unemployment sucks for everyone, more competition for jobs too when you do start looking
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NeonNebula
•That's what I'm worried about! Been out of work for 3 months now and seeing so many other people applying for the same positions. It's really discouraging and makes me anxious about finding something before my benefits run out.
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Anastasia Kozlov
The whole unemployment system is broken anyway. High unemployment just makes it worse because they don't hire enough staff to handle all the claims. I've been waiting 6 weeks for my adjudication to clear and can't get anyone on the phone at NYS Department of Labor. Meanwhile bills keep coming and they act like it's no big deal to make people wait indefinitely.
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Sean Kelly
•I feel you on this. The system definitely wasn't designed to handle volume spikes efficiently.
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Keisha Robinson
High unemployment definitely creates a domino effect - more claims filed means longer processing times, but it can also trigger federal extensions when unemployment stays elevated for extended periods. New York's current unemployment rate is around 4.1% as of late 2024, which is actually relatively low compared to pandemic levels. Your weekly benefit amount is calculated from your base period wages (usually the first 4 of the last 5 completed calendar quarters), so the unemployment rate doesn't directly impact that. However, during severe economic downturns, you might see additional federal programs like Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation that extend benefits beyond the standard 26 weeks. Keep certifying weekly even while your claim is pending - you can get backpay for those weeks once it's approved.
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