Which has the most unemployment - trying to understand NYS Department of Labor statistics for job search planning
I'm trying to figure out which areas or industries in New York have the highest unemployment rates right now. I'm currently on unemployment benefits and need to focus my job search efforts where there might be more opportunities opening up. Does the NYS Department of Labor publish data about which counties or job sectors have the most people filing claims? I want to avoid areas that are completely saturated with job seekers. My weekly claims are going fine but I'm worried about the 26-week limit approaching and want to be strategic about where I'm looking.
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Nathan Kim
The NYS Department of Labor publishes monthly labor statistics on their website. You can find unemployment rates by county and metropolitan areas. Generally, upstate counties like St. Lawrence and Allegany tend to have higher unemployment rates than the NYC metro area. For industries, leisure/hospitality and retail typically show higher unemployment numbers. Check the 'Labor Statistics' section on the NYS DOL site for the most current data.
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Gavin King
•Thanks! I didn't know they broke it down by county. I'm in the Capital Region so I'll look up those specific numbers.
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Eleanor Foster
just look at indeed or linkedin job postings, you can see which areas have more listings posted
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Lucas Turner
You should also consider that high unemployment doesn't necessarily mean more opportunities. Sometimes it means the opposite - too much competition for available jobs. I'd recommend looking at job growth projections rather than just unemployment rates. The NYS Department of Labor's career exploration tool has industry outlook data that might be more useful for your job search strategy.
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Gavin King
•That's a really good point. I was thinking backwards about this. Growth projections would definitely be more helpful for planning.
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Kai Rivera
I've been having trouble getting through to NYS Department of Labor to ask about extending benefits or retraining programs. The phone lines are always busy and I keep getting disconnected. Has anyone found a reliable way to actually talk to someone there? I need to understand my options before my 26 weeks run out.
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Anna Stewart
•I had the same problem for weeks trying to reach them about my claim status. Someone told me about this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that helps you get through to NYS Department of Labor agents. I was skeptical but tried it and actually got connected within 20 minutes. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI that explains how it works. Saved me hours of redialing busy numbers.
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Layla Sanders
honestly the whole system is a mess right now, unemployment numbers don't even reflect reality because so many people gave up looking or are working gig jobs that don't get counted properly
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Nathan Kim
Back to your original question - if you're looking at this strategically, focus on sectors that are actively hiring rather than areas with high unemployment. Healthcare, tech, and skilled trades are showing consistent job growth in NY. The unemployment rate tells you about job losses, but job creation data tells you about opportunities.
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