I've been through this exact situation and completely understand your stress! About 7 months ago I was offered a job in food service paying $13/hour when I had been making $26/hour as a tax preparer. The anxiety about refusing and potentially losing benefits was intense, but I'm so glad I stuck to my guns. The job was completely unrelated to my accounting background and paid exactly half of what I was making - clearly not suitable work under NYS Department of Labor guidelines. I documented everything thoroughly - saved the job posting, screenshots of the offer email, and wrote detailed notes about why it wasn't suitable (wrong field, 50% pay cut, no use of my tax and accounting expertise). I never heard a single word from NYS Department of Labor about it. Your retail vs accounting situation at only 60% of previous pay definitely qualifies as unsuitable work. The key thing that helped me was realizing that these protections exist specifically to prevent people from being forced into jobs that would damage their career trajectory. Keep focusing your search on accounting positions, document everything about this offer, and don't let anyone pressure you into taking work that's genuinely wrong for your professional background. You've got legitimate grounds to refuse and the system is designed to support you finding appropriate employment, not just any job!

I went through this same anxiety about 3 months ago when I was offered a retail job paying $13/hour after losing my accounting position that paid $22/hour. The fear of losing benefits is totally understandable, but after going through the process, I can tell you that you're absolutely protected when refusing genuinely unsuitable work. Your situation - retail vs accounting at only 60% of previous pay - definitely falls outside the suitable work guidelines. I documented everything (job posting, offer email, detailed reasons why it wasn't suitable) and never heard from NYS Department of Labor. The key is continuing your active job search in accounting and keeping good records. Don't let anxiety push you into taking something that would actually set your career back - the protections exist for exactly this reason. Focus on finding work that actually matches your skills and experience level. You're making the right call by being thoughtful about this decision!

Just wanted to share what worked for me after reading all these tips! Called this morning at 8:03 AM (855-233-8223) on a Thursday and got through using @Isabella Martin's method. Pressed 1 for English, then 3 for card issues, and there WAS a callback option (press 9)! They called me back in about 30 minutes. Had my card unlocked in 5 minutes once connected. The rep confirmed that Tuesday-Thursday mornings between 8-8:30 AM are definitely the best times. Also pro tip: they asked for the last 4 digits of my SSN first, then full card number, then zip code - have it all ready to go! Don't give up @Ella Knight, these strategies actually work! 🙌

@Ella Knight I was in the exact same situation last week - so frustrating! What finally worked for me was calling at 8:10 AM on a Wednesday using the number everyone's mentioned (855-233-8223). Here's my exact sequence: Press 1 for English, then 3 for card issues, then when you hear the menu starting to list options, immediately press 9 for callback instead of waiting on hold. They called me back in about 25 minutes from a different number (looked like a local area code, not the 855 number). Make sure to answer any unknown calls that morning! Had my SSN last 4 digits, full card number, and zip code ready when they called back. The whole thing took maybe 10 minutes once connected and they unlocked my card immediately. The key really is that early morning timing before everyone else starts calling. You got this! 💪

This is so helpful to read everyone's experiences! I'm still waiting for my phone interview - filed back in early June and haven't heard anything yet. It's been almost 2 months now and I was starting to panic that something went wrong with my application. Seeing that you waited from end of May until recently for your interview gives me hope that they're just really backed up and working through claims chronologically. The fact that you got that text the day after your interview is really encouraging too - sounds like once they complete the interview process, things move pretty quickly from there. Definitely going to save the shortcode 41411 in my contacts so I don't miss that important text when it comes! Thanks for sharing your timeline, it really helps those of us still in the waiting phase 🙏

Going through the exact same thing right now! Filed my claim back in June and still waiting for my phone interview to be scheduled. It's been such a stressful few months not knowing when things will move forward. Your post is giving me so much hope though - the fact that you got that text message the day after your interview shows they're actually processing things once they get to your case. I've been doing all my weekly certifications religiously and have my direct deposit info all set up, so hopefully when my turn comes everything will go smoothly. It's crazy how long this whole process takes but seeing everyone's experiences here makes me feel like there really is light at the end of the tunnel. Thanks for sharing your timeline and congrats on finally getting through the worst part! 🙌

side note but anytime you need to talk to NY unemployment go with claimyr.com its the only thing that actually works. otherwise you'll waste days trying to get through

Don't stress too much about this - it's actually a pretty common situation! I had something similar happen where I forgot to include a part-time job from my base period. The key is being proactive about fixing it rather than hoping it won't be discovered. Here's what worked for me: I called the unemployment office first thing in the morning (around 8:05 AM) on a Wednesday and actually got through after about 45 minutes on hold. The rep was understanding when I explained it was an honest oversight and helped me add the missing employer to my claim. They did have to recalculate my benefits, but since it was a relatively small amount ($3,400 over 3 months like yours), it didn't significantly change my weekly benefit rate. I had to repay about $200 in benefits that I technically wasn't entitled to, but there were no penalties since I self-reported the issue. The important thing is to have all your info ready when you call: the employer's name, address, your dates of employment, and total wages earned. Be upfront that you genuinely forgot to include this job when you filed your original claim. One thing that helped me was keeping a log of when I called and getting reference numbers for my calls. It shows you're making a good faith effort to resolve the issue. Good luck getting through - persistence is key with the NY unemployment phone system!

File your claim ASAP! Don't wait. Age is absolutely not a factor. I see this misconception a lot - people think there's some magic cutoff at 65 but that's not how unemployment insurance works in NY. You paid into the system, you're entitled to benefits if you qualify based on work history and circumstances of job loss.

I went through this exact situation last year at age 66 when my manufacturing job was eliminated. Filed my unemployment claim online through the NYS DOL website and had zero issues related to my age. The process was straightforward - just needed my employment history and reason for separation. Don't let anyone discourage you from applying for benefits you've earned! The only requirements are work history, being unemployed through no fault of your own, and being able and available to work. Age discrimination in unemployment benefits would actually be illegal. Get your claim started as soon as possible since there can be waiting periods.