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Been there friend. What really helped me was treating job searching like a full time job itself. Set schedule, track everything (helps with your weekly NYS Department of Labor reporting anyway), take breaks so you don't burn out. Also don't neglect your mental health during this time - unemployment can really mess with your head even when you're getting benefits.
The system is rigged anyway. I've been jumping through hoops for NYS Department of Labor for months, doing their stupid job search requirements, and still nothing. Companies ghost you after interviews, the whole thing is a joke. At least the unemployment benefits keep coming but it's not enough to live on.
This whole economic situation is insane!!! Three of my friends got laid off this month and my company is talking about 'restructuring' which we all know means more layoffs coming. The system wasn't built to handle this many people losing jobs at once. I'm dreading having to deal with NYS Department of Labor bureaucracy if I get cut.
I had major issues trying to reach NYS Department of Labor agents when I needed help with my adjudication. Kept getting busy signals and when I did get through, got transferred around forever. Finally used a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that helped me get connected to an actual person. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI showing how it works. Made the whole process so much easier.
Wait, I'm confused about something. If businesses are failing because of the recession phase, does that affect whether I can get unemployment? Like if my employer goes completely bankrupt, will NYS Department of Labor still pay benefits? I'm worried they'll say it's not the employer's fault or something weird like that.
Business closure due to economic conditions absolutely qualifies for unemployment benefits. The reason for the layoff doesn't matter as long as it wasn't for misconduct on your part. NYS Department of Labor benefits come from a state fund, not directly from your employer, so bankruptcies don't affect your eligibility.
Don't forget she also needs to file her weekly claims every week even if she hasn't found work yet. Missing those weekly certifications can mess up your benefits big time. I learned that the hard way when I forgot to file one week and had to call NYS Department of Labor to fix it.
Honestly it was a nightmare trying to get through on the phone. Took me like 2 weeks of trying before I could talk to someone. If she runs into phone issues, I recently heard about this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that helps you get through to NYS Department of Labor agents. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI showing how it works. Might be worth checking out if the phone lines are still crazy busy.
I was on unemployment during the 2020 recession and let me tell you, trying to get through to NYS Department of Labor was IMPOSSIBLE back then. Millions of people filing at once completely overwhelmed their phone system. If you ever need to reach them during normal times, I had success using a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that helps you get through to an actual agent. They have a demo video at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI showing how it works. Way better than sitting on hold for hours.
The whole unemployment system is a joke if you ask me. 'Automatic stabilizer' - more like automatically making people jump through hoops to get benefits they paid into! I've been fighting with NYS Department of Labor for weeks over my adjudication and there's nothing automatic about getting help when you need it.
Eva St. Cyr
I've been dealing with NYS Department of Labor for months trying to get through to someone about my claim status, and honestly the phone system is impossible. If you ever need to actually talk to them about unemployment stuff, I found this service called Claimyr that helps you get through their phone lines. Check out claimyr.com - they have a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI that shows how it works. Saved me hours of calling and getting disconnected.
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Kristian Bishop
•Never heard of that but sounds useful. The NYS Department of Labor phone system is definitely a nightmare when you actually need help.
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Kaitlyn Otto
just fyi the whole unemployment system in this state is a mess, they take your money all year then make it impossible to actually get benefits when you need them. don't expect much if you ever have to file a claim
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