What day do you certify for unemployment with NYS Department of Labor?
I just got approved for unemployment benefits and I'm confused about when I'm supposed to certify each week. The NYS Department of Labor website mentions weekly certification but doesn't clearly explain what day of the week this happens. Is it the same day every week or does it change? I don't want to miss my certification window and lose benefits.
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Carmen Lopez
Weekly certification for NYS Department of Labor is done every Sunday. You'll certify for the previous week ending on Saturday. So this Sunday you'd certify for the week that just ended yesterday (Saturday). The system usually opens early Sunday morning and you have until the following Saturday to complete it, but don't wait that long.
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Yuki Ito
•Thank you! So every Sunday I need to log in and certify? What happens if I forget to do it one week?
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AstroAdventurer
Just to add to what was said - you certify on Sundays but you're certifying for the week that ended the day before (Saturday). Make sure you have your job search activities ready because the NYS Department of Labor requires you to list them during certification. You need to search for work and keep records.
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Andre Dupont
•Wait, how many job searches do I need per week? I thought it was 3 but someone told me it might be more now.
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Zoe Papanikolaou
ugh the certification process is so annoying... i always forget what day it is and then panic thinking i missed it. why cant they just send better reminders??
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Jamal Wilson
If you're having trouble reaching someone at NYS Department of Labor to clarify your certification schedule, I had luck using Claimyr (claimyr.com) to get through to an actual agent. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI that shows how it works. Saved me hours of calling and getting busy signals when I needed to ask about my specific certification requirements.
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Yuki Ito
•Thanks for the suggestion! I might try that if I run into issues with my certification.
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Mei Lin
Pro tip: set a recurring alarm on your phone for Sunday mornings. I do mine at 8am every week and it's become routine. The NYS Department of Labor system can be slow on Sunday mornings because everyone's trying to certify at once, so sometimes I wait until afternoon.
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Emma Davis
Just want to clarify something that might help - when you first get approved, they usually send you a letter or email with your specific certification day and instructions. But yes, it's typically Sunday for most people. One thing to watch out for is that if there's a holiday weekend, the certification might be delayed by a day. I learned this the hard way during Labor Day weekend! Also, make sure you're logging into the correct portal - there's the main NYS DOL website and then the separate unemployment services portal where you actually do the certification.
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