NY unemployment work search form glitches - fields not saving properly
Does anyone else use the online work search form to record their job searches for NY unemployment? I've been using it because it's usually pretty easy, but lately I'm running into this weird glitch. I fill it out every other week with all my job hunt info and dates, but sometimes a few fields don't save properly. The main problem is with the company name and website fields. If I've used them before, they should show up in the dropdown menu (especially for employment agencies or follow-ups I've applied to) and most info should auto-populate. But randomly it doesn't save! When I manually enter it and hit save, those fields show no errors but end up completely empty! The weird part is you can't even fix it with the edit button. I have to delete the entire entry and start over from scratch. Sometimes it works on the second try, but other times I have to wait hours before those fields will actually save. This is driving me crazy because I'm worried about my work search record being incomplete. Anyone else dealing with this or know how to fix it?
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Asher Levin
Oh my gosh YES! I thought I was going crazy! The exact same thing keeps happening to me with the NY work search form. Last week I spent like 2 hours trying to get it to save my Indeed applications. The company names kept disappearing after I hit save. SO FRUSTRATING!!
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Serene Snow
This is a known issue with the NY.gov unemployment portal's work search records system. The database connection occasionally times out when saving large amounts of text or special characters in those fields. A few recommendations to avoid this problem: 1. Try using shorter company names (under 30 characters) 2. Avoid special characters like &, /, or % in any field 3. For websites, only include the main domain (example.com) instead of the full URL 4. Clear your browser cache and cookies before starting 5. Use Chrome or Edge browsers (Firefox has known compatibility issues) 6. Try completing the form between 7-10 AM when server load is typically lower If you continue having problems, take screenshots of your completed forms before submission as backup proof of your work search activities.
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Haley Stokes
•Thank you so much for these tips! I never realized special characters might be causing issues. I'll definitely start taking screenshots too - that's really smart. Do you know if there's any way to edit entries after they've been saved with missing information? Or do I have to keep deleting and re-entering?
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Issac Nightingale
Happens to me all the time!! The whole NY unemployment website is a NIGHTMARE. And good luck trying to get anyone on the phone to help fix these issues. I've tried calling the tech support number like 50 times and either get disconnected or am on hold forever. It's almost like they WANT us to mess up our work search records so they can deny benefits. 🤬
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Romeo Barrett
•After dealing with similar issues for weeks, I finally got through to an actual human at NYSDOL last month using Claimyr.com - it's a service that holds your place in the phone queue and calls you when an agent is about to pick up. Saved me hours of frustration. They have a video showing how it works here: https://youtu.be/Rdqa1gKtxuE. The agent I spoke with actually helped me recover some of my missing work search entries from their system.
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Issac Nightingale
•Wait seriously?? I've never heard of that before. Did it actually work? I've been trying to get through for THREE WEEKS about this exact same issue!
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Romeo Barrett
Yes, it absolutely worked for me. I was skeptical at first but was desperate after trying for days to get through. The agent told me this work search form issue has been happening since they updated the system in January 2025. They can see all your submission attempts on their end, even the ones that don't fully save. Just make sure when you call that you specifically mention it's about the work search record system glitch - they have a special team handling these technical issues.
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Marina Hendrix
I just use a spreadsheet to track all my job applications instead of their buggy system. Then I just upload the spreadsheet once a month as proof of my work searches. Way easier and I don't have to deal with all those glitches.
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Justin Trejo
•While tracking in a spreadsheet is a good backup, I strongly recommend still entering the data into the official NY unemployment work search system whenever possible. If you're ever selected for a work search audit (which they're doing more frequently in 2025), having the records in their system makes the process much smoother. A potential workaround for the saving issue: try entering your work search activities very early in the morning (around 5-6 AM) when the system typically performs maintenance and has fewer users.
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Haley Stokes
•Wait, they're doing more audits now? That makes me even more nervous about these glitches. I'm going to try the early morning suggestion and see if that helps.
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Alana Willis
ya this happens 2 me 2. i just keep trying till it works lol. sometimes take like 5-6 tries b4 it saves right
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Justin Trejo
I'd like to clarify a few technical points about this issue, as I've been helping several claimants with similar problems: 1. This is specifically affecting the NY unemployment work search record system after their February 2025 "enhancement" update 2. The primary issue involves a caching problem between their web form and database when handling certain types of entries 3. If you're experiencing this problem, document every attempt with screenshots 4. You can request a manual review of your work search records by submitting form UI-501WS (Work Search Review Request) 5. For immediate assistance, call the technical support line at 888-209-8124 and use prompt sequence 1, 6, then 2 to reach the web services team The department is aware of this issue and working on a fix, but the timeline is uncertain. In the meantime, keeping your own records is essential to protect your benefits eligibility.
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Haley Stokes
•Thank you for such detailed information! I didn't know about form UI-501WS. I'll definitely keep screenshots from now on. Do you happen to know if there are specific times when the system tends to work better? Someone mentioned early morning might be good?
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Justin Trejo
Yes, system performance is generally better between 4:30-7:00 AM and after 8:00 PM on weekdays. These are times when fewer users are active on the platform. Weekends (especially Sunday mornings) also tend to have fewer issues. Another tip: if you're entering multiple work search activities, save after each individual entry rather than entering several and trying to save them all at once. This reduces the likelihood of database timeout errors.
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Asher Levin
Has anyone tried using different browsers? I switched from Chrome to Edge last week and haven't had the problem since. Maybe it's a browser compatibility issue?
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Issac Nightingale
•OMG I just tried Edge instead of Firefox and it worked perfectly the first time!!! Been struggling with this for WEEKS. Can't believe it was that simple. The NY unemployment website is still trash but at least this workaround helps.
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Haley Stokes
Update: I tried a few different things based on everyone's suggestions, and I think I've found what works for me! I cleared my cache, switched to Edge browser, and did my entries early this morning. Everything saved correctly the first time! Also started taking screenshots just in case, and I'll be using that form UI-501WS if I notice any of my old entries are still incomplete. Thank you all for the help!
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Serene Snow
•Excellent! Glad to hear you found a solution. If you want to be extra safe, export a PDF of your work search record from the portal after each update. This creates a timestamp in their system showing you attempted to maintain proper records, which provides additional protection during audits.
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