How many Coursera hours count as job search activity for NY unemployment?

From my experience, you need to do at least 3 hours of coursework a week for it to count as ONE job search activity. NY unemployment requires at least 3 activities per week, so coursera alone won't be enough. Make sure you're still applying to jobs and going to workshops or whatever else counts. Save ALL your certificates and maybe even screenshots of your progress to be safe.

After getting nowhere with the unemployment system for weeks, I finally tried this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) and OMG they actually got me through to a real agent who answered all my questions about this!! Talking to an agent got my benefits question resolved in like 15 mins. It was the only way I could talk to a live agent after trying for days. Here's a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/Rdqa1gKtxuE

I've been on NY unemployment since August and they are SUPER picky about this. You need to document EVERYTHING. For Coursera specifically, you need a minimum of 3 hours per week for it to count as one activity, but I would aim for 5 hours to be safe. Print out your certificates and progress reports. Keep emails. Document the DATE and TIME you spent on each module. Trust me, if you get audited (and I did), they want to see all of this. Also make sure the courses are relevant to your career field!

The whole system is such a joke. I got flagged for "insufficient job search" even though I was doing Coursera for 10+ hours a week AND applying to jobs. Took me 3 months to get it sorted out. NY unemployment doesn't even follow their own rules half the time.

For anyone wondering about the OFFICIAL guidelines, I pulled this directly from the NY Unemployment handbook: Educational or vocational activities only count as job searching activities if you spend a minimum of 3 hours per week on coursework related to your field. You are required to maintain proof of your participation which may include certificates of completion, transcripts, or detailed logs of modules completed with dates and times. Online courses like Coursera are acceptable if they enhance employability in your field. In addition to this, remember that NY unemployment requires you to complete 3 DIFFERENT job searching activities per week. So even if you do 20 hours of Coursera, that still only counts as ONE activity. You need to combine it with other things like submitting job applications, attending workshops, networking events, etc. I've been through the unemployment process twice now and the best advice I can give is DOCUMENT EVERYTHING. Keep a detailed spreadsheet of all your activities with dates, times, and supporting evidence. If you ever get audited (which happens randomly), you'll thank yourself for being so organized. If you're still confused or have specific questions about your situation, you really need to talk to an agent directly. The online info is purposely vague. Getting through on the phone lines is nearly impossible though - I wasted days trying. I eventually used claimyr.com which got me through to an agent within an hour. It was worth every penny to get clear answers and peace of mind about my claim.

lmao good luck getting any clear answers about this. NY unemployment is where logic goes to die 💀

I'm completing Google Data Analytics Professional Certificate on Coursera and it's been counting as a job search activity for me since December. I do about 4-5 hours a week. Just make sure you save your certificates for each completed module and keep a log of hours spent. They've never questioned it during my weekly certifications.

Protip: if ur spending time on coursera make sure its RELEVANT to ur job search. My roommate got denied benefits cuz he was taking random courses that had nothing to do with his field. Gotta be strategic about it.

When I was on unemployment in June 2023, I would do coursera for about 5 hours per week and it counted as ONE job search activity. The other activities were job applications and attending virtual job fairs. Never had any issues getting my benefits. Just keep detailed records of what courses your taking, when you did the work, and what skills you're gaining that are relevant to your job search.

DON'T TRUST THE WEBSITE INFORMATION!!! The NY unemployment system is completely broken. I was doing everything by the book including Coursera and still got my benefits suspended for "insufficient job search activities." Had to fight for weeks to get it resolved. The only thing that finally worked was getting through to a supervisor on the phone who could actually fix things. I waited on hold for 4 hours before giving up and using Claimyr.com to get a callback from an agent. Fixed my issue in 15 minutes once I actually talked to someone.

I work at a career center that helps people with unemployment issues. Here's the official stance: online courses like Coursera count as ONE job search activity per week IF you spend at least 3 hours on them AND they relate to your occupation. You must keep documentation (certificates, course descriptions, time logs). This will satisfy ONE of your three required activities per week.

pro tip: screenshot EVERYTHING. I take screenshots of my coursera progress, the clock showing how long I've been in a module, completion certificates, everything. NY unemployment made me provide proof during a random audit in February and I was so glad I had everything documented.

Just wanted to add my experience as someone who's been through this process recently. I was laid off from my software engineering job in September and have been using Coursera courses as part of my job search activities since then. I typically spend 4-6 hours per week on Python and machine learning courses, which has been accepted as one activity without any issues during my weekly certifications. The key things I've learned: 1) Keep detailed logs with dates and hours spent, 2) Save all completion certificates and progress screenshots, 3) Make sure the courses clearly relate to your field, and 4) Remember it only counts as ONE activity no matter how many hours you put in. I also keep a simple spreadsheet tracking: Course name, Date, Hours spent, Topics covered, and Skills gained. This has been super helpful for staying organized and would be perfect documentation if I ever get audited. The courses have actually been really valuable for my job search too - I've been able to mention specific skills I've gained in interviews. Hope this helps! The system can be confusing but as long as you document everything and meet the 3-hour minimum, you should be fine.

I've been on NY unemployment since December and can confirm what others are saying about the 3-hour minimum for Coursera. I'm taking cybersecurity courses (relevant to my IT background) and do about 4 hours per week, which counts as one activity. The tricky part is they really do want to see relevance to your field - I had a friend who got questioned because they were taking creative writing courses while looking for accounting jobs. My advice: stick to courses that clearly enhance your employability in your field (Python and data analytics are perfect for IT), keep screenshots of your progress pages, and save every certificate. I use a simple Google Sheet to track course name, date, hours, and what modules I completed each week. Also remember you still need 2 other job search activities each week - applications, networking events, job fairs, etc. The documentation requirements seem inconsistent depending on which agent you talk to, so better to over-document than under-document. I haven't been audited yet but I'm prepared with everything saved in a folder on my desktop.