NY unemployment new hire questionnaire stuck in endless loop - can't submit part-time work info
I'm trying to report my part-time work in the NY unemployment new hire questionnaire section, but I'm stuck in what feels like an infinite loop. Every time I fill out all the fields and hit submit, instead of processing my information, it just loads a blank questionnaire page again! I've tried submitting it at least 8 times now. I've even tried using different browsers (Chrome, Firefox, and Edge) but the exact same thing happens every time. The system never gives me an error message - it just keeps giving me blank forms to fill out. Has anyone else dealt with this issue? Any solutions? I'm worried my benefits will be delayed if I can't get past this step.
21 comments

Maya Patel
same thing happened to me last week!!! so frustrating. the website is GARBAGE
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Isabella Brown
AuthorDid you ever figure out how to fix it? I'm getting really anxious about my benefits being messed up.
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Aiden Rodríguez
This is a known issue with the new hire reporting system that started showing up after their January 2025 update. The problem happens when you have certain special characters in your answers (like & or /) or if the part-time hours you enter exceed what their system expects for your claim type. Try these steps: 1. Clear your browser cache completely (not just cookies) 2. Use incognito/private mode 3. When entering information, avoid using any special characters or decimals in number fields 4. If you're reporting variable hours, enter them as whole numbers rounded down 5. If you have multiple employers, add them one at a time with separate submissions If all else fails, you can also report this information by phone, though wait times are still pretty long right now.
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Isabella Brown
AuthorThank you so much! I had a slash in the company name field (it's a franchise with location in the name). Just tried again without any special characters and it worked! What a relief!
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Emma Garcia
I work at a community center helping people with unemployment issues, and we've seen this problem a lot lately. In addition to the excellent advice above about special characters, if you're still having trouble, check that: - Your reported hours don't exceed 30 per week (if they do, you might need to use a different form) - The employer name matches exactly what's in their database (try using the lookup feature) - You're not leaving any required fields blank (even entering "0" or "N/A" can help) Also, take screenshots of your completed forms before submitting in case you need to prove you attempted to report properly.
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Maya Patel
wow they need to fix there stupid website, i shouldn't need an expert just to fill out a simple form
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Isabella Brown
AuthorThanks for these additional tips! Taking screenshots is a really good idea - I'll definitely do that from now on.
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Ava Kim
I had this problem too. I called them and they said it was bc my internet connection was too slow lol. tried on a different wifi and still happened. ended up having to drive to library to use their computers and THAT finally worked. makes no sense
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Isabella Brown
AuthorThat's so weird! Glad you found a solution even if it was inconvenient. The whole system seems really unreliable.
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Ethan Anderson
After fighting with the same issue for days and wasting hours trying to get through on the phone, I found a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that helped me actually reach a live agent. They have this system that holds your place in line and calls you when an agent is available. Saved me from pulling my hair out! Check out their demo video: https://youtu.be/Rdqa1gKtxuE The agent I spoke with walked me through the entire form submission process and even stayed on the line while I completed it to make sure it went through. Apparently there are several technical glitches with the new hire reporting system that they're aware of but haven't fixed yet. The agent manually added my part-time work info to my claim.
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Isabella Brown
AuthorThanks for sharing this! I've been trying to call for two days with no luck. I'll check out that service if I run into more problems.
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Layla Mendes
is this legit? seems sketchy to use a third party service for unemployment stuff. has anyone else used it?
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Aiden Rodríguez
UPDATE: The DOL just released a fix for this issue yesterday. If you're still experiencing the infinite loop problem with the new hire questionnaire, try logging out completely, clearing your browser cache, and then logging back in. They've added a new "Save Progress" button that should appear at the bottom of the form now, which lets you save your partial information before final submission. This has resolved the issue for most people.
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Isabella Brown
AuthorThat's great news! I was able to submit mine after removing special characters, but this will definitely help others with the same problem. Thanks for sharing the update!
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Maya Patel
anyone else think its crazy how much TAX MONEY they waste on these garbage systems that NEVER WORK RIGHT?? my cousin works in IT and says they could fix all this for way less than what ny is paying these contractors
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Lucas Notre-Dame
Yep, my thought exactly. And then they make it OUR problem when their system doesn't work. So ridiculous.
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Aria Park
I had trouble with mine last week too. What worked for me was entering everything in ALL CAPS. Sounds weird I know but the lady I finally got on the phone told me to try it and it worked. Apparently their system sometimes has issues with lowercase letters in certain fields (???). I also found out you can use the DOL mobile app instead of the website - it has fewer bugs from what the agent told me. Haven't tried it personally since the ALL CAPS trick worked, but might be worth trying if you're still stuck.
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Isabella Brown
AuthorThat's... actually insane that capitalization would make a difference, but thanks for the tip! I didn't even know they had a mobile app - will definitely check that out for future submissions.
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LunarLegend
Just wanted to add another workaround that worked for me - if you're still having issues even after trying the special characters fix, try submitting the form during off-peak hours (like early morning or late evening). I kept getting the endless loop during normal business hours, but when I tried again at 6 AM it went through on the first try. Seems like their servers get overloaded during peak times and can't handle the form submissions properly. Really shouldn't be this complicated but at least there's a way around it!
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Eli Wang
I'm dealing with this same nightmare right now! Been stuck in this loop for over a week and it's driving me crazy. Already tried the special characters fix (removed an ampersand from my employer name) and the ALL CAPS method, but still no luck. Going to try submitting during early morning hours like someone suggested - never thought about server load being an issue but it makes perfect sense. It's honestly insane that we need to jump through all these hoops just to report part-time work. The system should just work! Has anyone had success with the mobile app that was mentioned? Might give that a shot too if the timing trick doesn't work.
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Tate Jensen
I feel your pain - this has been such a frustrating experience for so many of us! Since you've already tried the special characters and ALL CAPS fixes, definitely give the early morning submission a shot. I had success around 6 AM when the servers aren't as busy. As for the mobile app, I haven't personally used it yet but the person who mentioned it said an agent told them it has fewer bugs than the website. Might be worth downloading just to have as a backup option. Also, if you get really desperate, that Claimyr service someone mentioned earlier might be worth looking into to actually get through to a live agent who can manually process your info. Hang in there - with all these workarounds, one of them should eventually work for you!
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