Weekly claim showing 'rejected' status - what does rejected mean on unemployment claim?

A rejected weekly claim usually means there was an issue with one of your answers or the system detected something that needs clarification. Common reasons include answering that you weren't available for work, reporting earnings incorrectly, or having a job search requirement issue. Check your claim history in the NYS Department of Labor portal to see if there's a specific reason listed. You might also want to review your job search log to make sure you met the minimum requirements for that week.

same thing happened to me 2 weeks ago, turned out i accidentally clicked the wrong answer about being ready and willing to work. had to call to get it fixed but took forever to get through

If your claim was rejected, you need to contact NYS Department of Labor immediately because you only have a limited time to resolve it. Sometimes it's as simple as re-filing the weekly claim with the correct information, but other times they need to investigate further. I had success using Claimyr to get through to an actual agent - check out claimyr.com, they have a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI that explains how it works. Saved me hours of calling and getting hung up on.

THE WHOLE SYSTEM IS BROKEN!!! I've had three claims rejected this month for NO REASON and when I finally got through they said it was a 'computer error' but wouldn't backpay me automatically. Had to wait another 2 weeks for them to 'investigate' something that was THEIR mistake. NYS Department of Labor doesn't care about us at all.

Make sure you're not missing any required job search activities. Even if you think you did enough, double-check the specific requirements for your benefit year. Sometimes they change the number of required activities or add new requirements. Also verify that all your job contacts were entered correctly in the system - I've seen claims rejected because someone entered an invalid phone number or email for an employer contact.

I went through something similar last month and it turned out to be a technical glitch on their end. Since you've been filing successfully for 6 weeks and nothing changed in your situation, it's likely a system error. Try logging back into your account and see if there's an option to refile the weekly claim - sometimes that clears up technical rejections. If not, you'll unfortunately need to call. Pro tip: try calling right at 8:00 AM when they open, you'll have a better chance of getting through. Don't panic about the rent - if it's their error, they should process the payment retroactively once it's resolved.