Why is unemployment benefits good - confused about NYS Department of Labor system
I know this might sound like a weird question but I'm genuinely confused about why unemployment benefits are considered good? I just lost my job at a retail store last month and everyone keeps telling me to file with NYS Department of Labor but I don't really understand what the point is. Like why does the government pay people who aren't working? Isn't that backwards? I've never been unemployed before so maybe I'm missing something obvious. Can someone explain why unemployment is actually helpful and not just enabling people to not work?
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Harold Oh
Unemployment benefits serve as a crucial economic safety net and actually benefit both individuals and the broader economy. When you file with NYS Department of Labor, you're accessing insurance you and your employer paid into through payroll taxes. The benefits provide temporary financial support while you actively search for new employment, preventing you from falling into poverty or having to accept any job regardless of pay or conditions. This system helps stabilize the economy during downturns by maintaining consumer spending power.
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Payton Black
•Oh wow I had no idea it was insurance we already paid for! That makes way more sense. So it's not like welfare then?
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Amun-Ra Azra
Think of it this way - unemployment benefits give you breathing room to find a job that actually matches your skills instead of just grabbing whatever's available out of desperation. This leads to better job matches, higher wages, and more productive employment. NYS Department of Labor requires you to actively search for work anyway, so it's not like you can just sit around doing nothing. You have to file weekly claims and prove you're looking for jobs.
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Summer Green
•Exactly! I was able to find a much better job because UI gave me time to be selective instead of taking the first minimum wage offer.
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Gael Robinson
I was skeptical too when I first filed but honestly unemployment saved me from losing my apartment. The NYS Department of Labor system isn't perfect - there's tons of paperwork and sometimes claims get stuck in adjudication for weeks - but having that weekly payment meant I could keep paying rent while job hunting. Without it I would have had to move back with my parents or take some terrible job immediately.
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Payton Black
•That's exactly what I'm worried about - having to take a really bad job just to survive. Maybe I should look into filing after all.
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Edward McBride
If you're having trouble getting through to NYS Department of Labor to file your claim or have questions about the process, I found this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that helps you actually reach a real person at the unemployment office. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI showing how it works. I was stuck trying to call for days and getting disconnected, but this got me through to an agent who walked me through everything. Really helped me understand how the whole system works.
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Darcy Moore
•Interesting, never heard of that. Did it actually work or is it just another scam?
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Edward McBride
•No it's legit - I was skeptical too but it actually connected me to a real NYS Department of Labor agent. Way better than sitting on hold for hours.
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Dana Doyle
unemployment is good because otherwise people would riot when the economy crashes lol. also gives companies more flexibility to lay people off during slow periods without completely screwing over workers
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Harold Oh
•While that's a somewhat cynical way to put it, there is truth to unemployment benefits providing economic stability during recessions and helping maintain social cohesion.
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Darcy Moore
Just wanted to say thanks for asking this question - I was wondering the same thing but felt dumb asking. Good to know I'm not the only one who didn't understand how this all works!
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