What is percentage of unemployment rate in NY - does it affect my claim status?
I've been seeing different unemployment percentages in the news and I'm wondering if this affects my claim with NYS Department of Labor? My weekly claim has been pending for 2 weeks now and I'm trying to figure out if the state's unemployment rate has anything to do with processing times or benefit amounts. Does anyone know what the current percentage is and whether it impacts individual claims?
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Andre Dubois
The unemployment rate doesn't directly affect your individual claim processing or benefit amount. Your weekly benefit rate is calculated based on your previous earnings, not the state's overall unemployment percentage. However, higher unemployment can sometimes mean longer processing times due to increased volume at NYS Department of Labor offices.
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Carmen Flores
•That makes sense about the processing times. I've been trying to call but can never get through to anyone at NYS Department of Labor.
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CyberSamurai
i think its around 4% right now but dont quote me on that, my claim took forever too when i filed last month
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Zoe Alexopoulos
The state unemployment rate is published monthly and you can find it on the Bureau of Labor Statistics website. As of the latest data I've seen, NY's rate was around 4.2%. But like others said, this percentage doesn't change your individual benefit calculation - that's based on your base period wages reported to NYS Department of Labor.
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Jamal Carter
•Wait so even if unemployment goes up my benefits stay the same? I thought maybe they'd increase payments if more people are out of work.
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Zoe Alexopoulos
•Correct, your weekly benefit amount is fixed based on your earnings history. The only time benefit amounts change is through legislative action, not because of unemployment rate fluctuations.
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Mei Liu
I had the same question when I was dealing with a pending claim last year. Couldn't get through to NYS Department of Labor no matter how many times I called. Finally used this service called Claimyr that got me connected to an actual agent - you can check it out at claimyr.com. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI that shows how it works. Way better than sitting on hold for hours.
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Carmen Flores
•Really? How much does something like that cost? I'm already stressed about money.
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Mei Liu
•It was worth it for me to get my issue resolved quickly rather than losing weeks of benefits. The peace of mind was huge.
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Liam O'Donnell
Just to add - if you're seeing news about unemployment percentages going up, that might actually mean MORE competition for jobs which could affect your job search requirements. NYS Department of Labor requires you to make 3 job contacts per week and document them in your work search log.
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Amara Nwosu
This whole system is so confusing! Why can't they just tell us this stuff upfront instead of making us guess about everything??
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Andre Dubois
•I understand the frustration. The key thing to remember is focus on your individual claim status rather than worrying about statewide statistics. Keep filing your weekly claims and maintain your job search log.
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