Who does unemployment affect the most - NYS Department of Labor statistics question
I'm doing research for a community college economics project and need to understand who gets hit hardest by unemployment in New York State. I know certain groups face bigger challenges but I'm looking for real experiences from people who've dealt with NYS Department of Labor claims. From what I've seen, it seems like older workers, people without college degrees, and minorities have the toughest time but I want to hear from actual claimants. Has anyone noticed patterns in their own communities or families? Also wondering if certain industries see more layoffs that lead to longer unemployment periods.
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Amara Nnamani
From my experience working in workforce development, you're absolutely right about those groups facing bigger challenges. Older workers over 50 have a much harder time finding new employment even when their NYS Department of Labor benefits are active. The job search requirements can be particularly difficult for them since many aren't as comfortable with online applications. Workers in manufacturing and retail also tend to have longer periods between jobs because those industries have fewer openings than they used to.
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Giovanni Mancini
•This is so true about older workers! My dad lost his factory job at 58 and it took him almost a year to find something else even though he was doing everything right with his weekly claims and job search log.
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Fatima Al-Suwaidi
construction workers def get hit hard too, especially during winter months when outdoor work slows down... lots of them end up on standby status or filing regular claims depending on their union situation
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GalacticGuru
•That's interesting about seasonal patterns. I hadn't thought about how weather affects unemployment rates in specific industries.
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Dylan Cooper
Single parents face unique challenges with unemployment that most statistics don't capture. They often can't take jobs with irregular hours or extensive travel, which limits their options when job searching. The NYS Department of Labor work search requirements can be tough when you have childcare constraints. I've seen people struggle to find positions that work with school schedules, and some end up taking lower-paying jobs just to meet the availability requirements.
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Sofia Morales
•YES! This is exactly what I went through last year. Had to turn down several interview opportunities because they conflicted with my kids' pickup times, and explaining that in job interviews is awkward.
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StarSailor
I've been trying to reach someone at NYS Department of Labor for weeks to get more detailed statistics for my own research but their phone lines are impossible. Has anyone found a way to actually speak with someone there? I keep getting disconnected after waiting on hold forever.
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Dylan Cooper
•I had the same problem until I found this service called Claimyr that helps you get through to NYS Department of Labor agents. Check out claimyr.com - they have a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI that shows how it works. Really helped me when I needed to discuss my claim details with an actual person instead of just using the automated system.
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StarSailor
•Thanks! I'll definitely check that out. The automated system doesn't have the kind of demographic data I need for this project.
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Dmitry Ivanov
don't forget about people with disabilities... they face extra barriers and often get overlooked in these discussions but unemployment hits them really hard too
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Amara Nnamani
Another group that faces significant challenges are workers without high school diplomas or GED certificates. Many employers now require at least a high school education even for entry-level positions that didn't require it years ago. These individuals often exhaust their unemployment benefits before finding suitable employment and may need to consider educational programs while claiming benefits.
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GalacticGuru
•That's a really good point about education requirements changing. Do you know if NYS Department of Labor has programs to help people get their GED while collecting benefits?
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