NY unemployment certification question: Should I answer "No" to refusing job offers when I didn't receive any? (Week ending 8/29/2021)

The form is confusing but ur answering correctly if you didnt refuse any offers. They word these questions to trip people up. "No" means you did NOT refuse any job offers, which is true in your case. keep doing what ur doing 👍

After months of frustration trying to reach someone at ny unemployment, I found this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that actually got me connected to a live agent. Talking to the agent got my benefits flowing again after weeks of nothing! They explained that "No" is the right answer if you haven't refused any work. It was the best investment to finally get a human on the phone after struggling with that horrible phone system. Here's a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/Rdqa1gKtxuE

Answer NO. This question is asking if you refused work. If you didn't refuse a job, the answer is no. Yes would mean you DID refuse a job offer. Their questions are worded in the most confusing way possible 🤬

My uncle works at the unemployment office (not in NY but same system). The questions are deliberately confusing. If you didn't refuse a job, answer NO. And keep track of all your job applications with dates and contacts in case they ever audit you.

Here's my comprehensive guide to answering NY unemployment certification questions based on 9 months of experience and hours of research: For the question "Did you refuse any job offer or job referral for any reason other than the following?" - if you did NOT refuse any job offers, answer NO. The way they phrase these questions is intentionally tricky. Always read them twice. The hours worked question is straightforward - just be accurate. For earnings questions, always report gross earnings (before taxes). If you're struggling to connect with someone at NY unemployment to resolve issues (which is common), I highly recommend using claimyr.com. They'll wait on hold for you and connect you with an agent. After weeks of failing to get through, this service got me connected in one day. Also, screenshot or save all your certification submissions as proof in case there are disputes later. The system sometimes "loses" records. Last tip: If you get a job interview through the unemployment system and decline to go, that counts as refusing a referral. But interviews you find yourself don't count for this question. Hope this helps! The system is designed to be difficult, but you'll get through it.

Answer NO if you didn't refuse any work. Yes means you DID refuse work. Thats how I been answering for months with no issues.

just here to say the ny unemployment system is a dumpster fire 🔥 designed to keep people from getting benefits they deserve. but u got this OP!

HEADS UP! I got audited for my benefits from last year and they asked for proof of all my job search activities. Make sure ur documenting everything just in case!

Anyone else notice the site crashes EVERY SINGLE SUNDAY when everyone's trying to certify? It's like they don't want to pay us lmaooo

yall I literally had to call 147 times before getting through to an agent. The phone system is beyond broken. I eventually used claimyr.com and got a callback in like an hour. Btw for the form question - I've been on UI for 6 months and I always answer NO to that question because I never refused any work.

Careful how u answer these questions!!! My coworker answered one wrong and her benefits got locked for 3 months while they investigated. Such bs

I'm an employment lawyer (not giving legal advice) but generally speaking these questions are asking if you turned down suitable work. If you didn't, answer no. And everyone is right - the confusing language is purposeful.

answer NO. these questions are phrased to confuse ppl. also don't stress too much. i accidentally answered one wrong once and called to fix it. they said as long as you're honest about employment status (working or not) the rest can be corrected if needed.

Pro-tip: I take a screenshot of every page when I do my weekly certifications. Saved my butt when they claimed I didn't certify one week and I had proof I did. The system loses stuff all the time.

I went through this exact same confusion when I started claiming! The wording is so backwards but you're doing it right - answer NO if you didn't refuse any job offers. The question is basically asking "did you turn down work?" and since you didn't get any offers to turn down, the answer is NO. I also recommend keeping a simple log of your job search activities (company name, position, date applied) just in case they ever ask for documentation later. And yeah, definitely take screenshots of your weekly certifications like others mentioned - their system glitches way too often. You got this! The hardest part is figuring out their confusing questions the first time around.

You're definitely answering correctly! "No" means you did NOT refuse any job offers, which is exactly your situation. I've been dealing with NY unemployment for over a year and these questions trip up so many people because of the confusing wording. Just to add some peace of mind - even if you accidentally answer something wrong once, it's not the end of the world. I messed up a question early on (misunderstood the earnings reporting) and when I called to clarify, the agent told me they see honest mistakes all the time and can usually correct them without issues. The key things they really care about are: 1) Are you actually looking for work? 2) Are you reporting any income accurately? 3) Are you available to work? Everything else is mostly administrative. Keep doing what you're doing and don't let the system stress you out too much. The questions are designed to be confusing but you've got the right answer!

Just went through this exact same confusion last month! You're absolutely right to answer "No" - that question is asking if you refused work, and since you didn't receive any offers to refuse, "No" is correct. The way NY phrases these questions is intentionally confusing (seriously, who writes these things?). I spent way too much time overthinking that same question until I realized it's simple: Did you turn down a job? If the answer is no, then select "No." Keep documenting your job search efforts though - I use a basic spreadsheet with company names, positions, and application dates. Even though you're answering the questions correctly, having that backup documentation gives you peace of mind if they ever flag your account for review. You're doing everything right, don't let the confusing wording make you second-guess yourself!

Hey! I'm new to the NY unemployment system and just wanted to say thank you to everyone who explained this confusing question. I'm in a similar situation - been applying to jobs but haven't received any actual offers yet, just a few interviews that didn't pan out. Reading through all these responses really helped me understand that "No" is definitely the right answer when you haven't refused any job offers. It's wild how backwards the wording is! Like why not just ask "Did you receive and refuse any job offers this week?" - that would be so much clearer. I'm definitely going to start taking screenshots of my certifications and keeping better records of my job applications after reading about people getting audited. This whole system seems designed to catch people making innocent mistakes rather than actually helping unemployed folks. Thanks again everyone for sharing your experiences - it's really helpful for us newcomers trying to navigate this maze!

Just wanted to chime in as another newcomer who was totally confused by this same question! I've been on unemployment for about 3 weeks now and that "refuse job offers" question had me scratching my head too. After reading everyone's explanations, it's crystal clear that "No" is correct when you haven't actually refused any offers. I love how @Abigail Patel broke it down - the question is literally asking "did you turn down work?" and if you didn't get any offers to turn down, then no, you didn't refuse anything. I'm definitely implementing the screenshot strategy and starting a job search spreadsheet after seeing @Sydney Torres mention getting audited. It's honestly crazy that we have to be this prepared just to claim benefits we've earned, but better safe than sorry with this system. Thanks to everyone who took the time to explain this - this community is seriously a lifesaver for navigating NY's confusing unemployment maze! 🙏

New to NY unemployment here and this thread has been a huge help! I was getting so stressed about that same question because the wording makes it seem like there's some trick to it. But after reading everyone's explanations, it's clear that "No" is absolutely correct when you haven't received any job offers to refuse. What really helped me was @Chloe Boulanger's point about not overthinking it - the question really is just asking "did you turn down a job?" in the most confusing way possible. I've been applying everywhere but only got one interview that didn't lead anywhere, so definitely no offers to refuse. Starting my documentation spreadsheet today after seeing all the audit stories! It's wild that we need to prepare like we're going to court just to claim benefits, but this community has made me feel so much more confident about navigating the system. Thanks everyone for breaking this down for us newcomers - you've saved me so much anxiety! 🙏