Why is unemployment so low 2024 - having trouble getting approved for NYS Department of Labor benefits
I keep hearing about how unemployment rates are really low in 2024 but I'm struggling to even get my claim approved through NYS Department of Labor. Filed back in November and still stuck in adjudication. My friend says with unemployment being so low this year, maybe they're being more strict about approving claims? Has anyone else noticed it's harder to get benefits approved lately? I worked at a restaurant for 8 months before getting laid off due to slow business but they keep asking for more documentation about my work history.
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Zara Khan
Low unemployment rates don't affect individual claim approvals - NYS Department of Labor still follows the same eligibility requirements. Your adjudication delay is probably related to wage verification or separation reason, not the overall job market. What specific documentation are they requesting?
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Sean Murphy
•They want pay stubs from my previous job before the restaurant but I only worked there for like 3 weeks and don't have those anymore. Is that really necessary?
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Luca Ferrari
ive been waiting 6 weeks for my claim too, think theyre just overwhelmed. the low unemployment thing is more about people finding jobs easily not about benefit approvals being harder
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Nia Davis
I had a similar issue with missing documentation from a short-term job. You can request wage records directly from your employer or use form IA 12.3 to report wages if you can't get pay stubs. The base period calculation includes all employers from the past 15 months, so even short jobs matter for your weekly benefit amount.
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Sean Murphy
•Thanks! Where do I get that form? And should I call them or just wait for the adjudication to finish?
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Mateo Martinez
Had trouble reaching NYS Department of Labor for weeks about my adjudication issue. Finally used this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that gets you through to an actual agent. They have a video demo showing how it works: https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI. Honestly saved me so much time and stress trying to get through their phone lines.
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QuantumQueen
•How much does something like that cost? Seems like we shouldn't have to pay extra just to talk to someone about our own benefits.
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Mateo Martinez
•I get the frustration but it was worth it for me to finally get answers about my case. The alternative was calling 100+ times and never getting through.
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Aisha Rahman
The whole system is a joke honestly. They talk about low unemployment like it's great news but then make it impossible to get help when you actually need it. Been dealing with NYS Department of Labor for months and getting nowhere.
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Ethan Wilson
Same boat here! Filed in December and still waiting. At least we're not alone in this mess.
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