What is mass unemployment and how does NYS Department of Labor handle it?
I keep hearing about mass unemployment on the news and I'm confused about what this actually means for people like me who are filing claims. Does NYS Department of Labor have different procedures when there's mass unemployment? My company just laid off 200 people last month and I'm wondering if this affects how our claims get processed or if there are special benefits we might qualify for. I filed my initial claim two weeks ago and it's still in adjudication - could mass unemployment be slowing things down?
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Dmitry Volkov
Mass unemployment refers to when a large percentage of the workforce becomes unemployed simultaneously, usually during economic downturns or major industry disruptions. NYS Department of Labor does have special protocols during these periods including expedited processing for mass layoff notifications and extended deadlines for certain requirements. If your company filed a WARN notice for 200+ layoffs, your claims should actually process faster since the employer already documented the separation reason.
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Sofia Martinez
•Thanks! How do I know if my company filed a WARN notice? Would that show up in my claim status somewhere?
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Ava Thompson
ugh the system is so slow right now, mine took 3 weeks in adjudication even tho it was a clear layoff situation
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CyberSiren
During periods of mass unemployment, NYS Department of Labor typically waives the job search requirement for the first few weeks and may extend benefit duration through federal programs. The key is making sure you continue filing your weekly claims even while in adjudication. I went through this during the 2008 recession and the main thing is staying patient with the process.
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Miguel Alvarez
•Wait, they waive job search requirements? I've been frantically applying everywhere because I thought I had to prove I was looking for work immediately!
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Zainab Yusuf
I had trouble reaching NYS Department of Labor during my layoff situation last year - kept getting busy signals and disconnected calls. Finally 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. Really helped me get answers about my claim status when the online system wasn't updating.
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Sofia Martinez
•Interesting, I might need to try that if my adjudication drags on much longer. Did they charge you for it?
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Zainab Yusuf
•They focus more on the value of getting through rather than cost - honestly worth it when you're stressed about bills and need real answers about your claim.
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Connor O'Reilly
The whole system is a joke during mass unemployment. They act like they're prepared but then everything crashes when people actually need it. I was unemployed for 6 months in 2020 and the website was down half the time.
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