What is the percent of unemployment rate for NYS Department of Labor calculations?
I'm trying to understand how the NYS Department of Labor calculates unemployment percentages for my area. I keep seeing different numbers online and I'm not sure which ones are official. Does anyone know where to find the current unemployment rate that NYS Department of Labor uses? I'm wondering if this affects my weekly claim or job search requirements somehow. My case worker mentioned something about local unemployment rates but didn't explain what that meant for my benefits.
10 comments
Join the conversation
Ashley Simian
The NYS Department of Labor publishes official unemployment statistics monthly on their website. The statewide rate is currently around 4.2% but it varies significantly by region. NYC metro area tends to be different from upstate regions. These rates don't directly affect your weekly claim amount but they can influence job search requirements in some areas.
0 coins
Miguel Harvey
•Thanks! Do you know if high unemployment areas have different job search rules? I'm in Albany county.
0 coins
Oliver Cheng
i think its like 3.8% or something but honestly not sure if thats accurate, where do you even find the real numbers?
0 coins
Taylor To
You can find the official unemployment rates on the NYS Department of Labor website under Labor Statistics. They break it down by county and metropolitan areas. For Albany County specifically, you'd want to look at the Capital Region statistics. The unemployment rate doesn't change your benefit amount but it can affect how many work search contacts you need to make weekly.
0 coins
Ella Cofer
•Wait, the unemployment rate affects how many job applications I have to do? I had no idea! Where does it say that in the rules?
0 coins
Kevin Bell
If you're having trouble reaching someone at NYS Department of Labor to get clarification on how local unemployment rates might affect your specific requirements, I had success using Claimyr (claimyr.com) to get through to an actual agent. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI that shows how it works. Saved me hours of trying to call and getting busy signals.
0 coins
Miguel Harvey
•Really? I've been trying to call for weeks about my adjudication issue. Does this actually work for getting through?
0 coins
Savannah Glover
The unemployment rate in my area just hit 5.1% and honestly the job market is TERRIBLE right now. I've been on unemployment for 6 months and can barely find anything that pays decent. The NYS Department of Labor keeps pushing these job fairs but half the employers there are offering minimum wage with no benefits.
0 coins
Felix Grigori
•Same situation here! The numbers they publish don't reflect how hard it actually is to find work that pays enough to live on.
0 coins
Oliver Cheng
just looked it up and my county shows 4.7% unemployment but feels way higher than that honestly
0 coins