lmaooo welcome to the circus that is ny unemployment. better start applying to wendys 🤡

Been there! I'm also in real estate and had to deal with this last year. The key is diversifying your search activities - I did a mix of real estate networking events, general job applications on Indeed/LinkedIn, and even attended some virtual career workshops. Make sure to document EVERYTHING with dates and screenshots. Also, don't just focus on job applications - informational interviews, professional meetups, and even updating your LinkedIn profile all count as valid work search activities. The meeting itself wasn't too bad once I had all my documentation organized. Good luck! 🍀

I'm in a similar situation and it's been really tough trying to get answers from NYS Department of Labor directly. Their phone lines are always busy and when I finally got through, they just told me the same thing about needing W-2 wages. If you're having trouble reaching them, I found this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that helped me get through to an actual agent. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI that explains how it works. At least I was able to get a definitive answer about my situation.

This whole system is broken honestly. Gig work is real work but the government treats us like we don't exist when we need help. Meanwhile regular employees get all these protections.

check your payment history on the website. sometimes it shows as released there before it hits your bank

Congrats on finally getting approved! I just went through the same thing last month. For me it was exactly 3 business days from that message to seeing the money in my account. The backpay all came at once in one lump sum which was nice. Just be patient a little longer - you're so close! 🙌

Great to hear you got some answers! This is actually a common issue with training programs and unemployment benefits. For anyone else reading this who might be in a similar situation: 1. If you're in a state-approved training program, make sure to formally notify NYSDOL through the proper channels 2. Keep documentation of your enrollment and attendance 3. When certifying, there's usually a specific way to report training instead of regular work search activities 4. Always keep copies of any forms or verification documents you submit Once you submit that completed form, your pending weeks should be released within 7-10 business days.

I'm dealing with something similar right now - missing 2 weeks from my back pay that show as "pending review." Based on what I'm reading here, it sounds like these system flags are pretty common with the new processing system they rolled out. Amy, glad you got connected to someone! For others still struggling to get through by phone, I've had some luck calling right at 8:00am on Wednesdays specifically. Also worth trying the secure messaging system multiple times - I sent 3 messages before getting a response, but they did eventually reply with specific instructions. One thing I learned from my workforce center advisor: if you're in any kind of training program or had ANY change in your situation during those weeks (even something small like a different address or phone number), it can trigger these manual review flags. The system seems really sensitive to any variation from your normal certification pattern.

depends what you need it for really. for most things the weekly confirmation emails are fine but banks and landlords usually want the official monetary determination

I went through this same situation a few months ago. The monetary determination letter is definitely your best bet - it's the most official document and shows all the key details like your weekly benefit amount and claim dates. I'd also recommend downloading and printing your payment history from my.ny.gov as backup. Most organizations accept either one, but having both gives you options depending on what they prefer to see.