Do I need to register with NY unemployment career center if I already have a job coach?

Yes, you still need to register with the NYS Career Center even if you have another job coach or program. It's a separate requirement for unemployment benefits in 2025. Your existing job coaching program is great, but the DOL specifically requires registration with THEIR system to maintain benefit eligibility. You can do it online at labor.ny.gov - it only takes about 15 minutes to complete.

i didnt register and they cut my bennefits for 2 weeks had to call and beg to get it fixed dont skip it

The system is SO frustrating!!! I was in a similar program last year and STILL had to register with their stupid career center. It's just another hoop they make us jump through to get the benefits WE PAID FOR through our taxes! They don't care that you're already getting help - they just want to check their box. Make sure you do it or they'll use ANY excuse to deny benefits!!

Registration with the NYS Department of Labor Career Center is a mandatory requirement under Section 590.9 of the NY Unemployment Insurance Law. Your participation in another program, while beneficial, doesn't satisfy this specific legal requirement. The two systems don't automatically share data, so your external job coach activities aren't visible to NYSDOL. Complete your registration promptly to avoid benefit interruption.

I had trouble reaching anyone when I needed to sort this out too. After trying for days, I used Claimyr.com to get through to an actual agent in about 15 minutes instead of waiting on hold forever. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/Rdqa1gKtxuE - much easier than spending all day trying to call. They connected me to someone who confirmed I had to register with the career center even though I was already working with a nonprofit job program.

Did your job coach specifically tell you that you don't need to register with the career center? Because when I was getting benefits I had to do both - work with my non-profit job program AND register with the DOL system. They're totally separate requirements. My job coach even helped me complete the DOL registration to make sure I didn't lose benefits.

anyone else notice they redesigned the whole registration thing this year? took me like 3 tries to figure it out lol

When you register, make sure you print or screenshot the confirmation page. I didn't and then had to prove I registered when there was a glitch in their system. Save EVERYTHING when dealing with unemployment!

Just to clarify something that's causing confusion: the registration with the Career Center is different from your weekly work search activities. Your job coach helps with the work search requirements (applying to jobs, improving resumes, etc.), but the one-time Career Center registration is a separate requirement that must be completed within the first 7 days of filing your claim.

Just wanted to add that if you're worried about duplicate services, you can actually mention your existing job coach program when you register with the Career Center. Sometimes they can coordinate or at least note it in your file so you're not getting conflicting advice. I did this when I had both a WIOA program counselor and had to register with DOL - the Career Center person was actually helpful and made sure we weren't duplicating efforts. But yeah, you definitely still need to register regardless!