Same boat here! Started collecting in January and wasn't sure about the job search thing either. Glad someone asked this question because I was worried I was missing something important.

Just to add some clarity on what counts as valid work search activities - I went through this last year. Besides job applications, you can also count things like attending virtual career workshops, registering with temp agencies, creating profiles on job boards like Indeed or ZipRecruiter, and even informational interviews. The key is to keep good records with dates and details. I use a simple spreadsheet to track everything. Also, if you're having trouble finding 3 activities per week in your specific field, you can broaden your search to related fields or consider remote opportunities. The DOL understands that some industries have limited openings, but they want to see genuine effort.

I went through something similar when I started part-time work while on unemployment. The key thing to remember is that NYS uses a formula where they reduce your weekly benefit amount by 25% of what you earn over $50. So if your weekly benefit is $300 and you earn $300 from part-time work, you'd get $300 - (0.25 × $250) = $237.50 in unemployment benefits that week. Always report your gross earnings (before taxes) for the week you actually worked, not when you get paid. The system is designed to encourage people to work part-time while looking for full-time employment, so don't let fear keep you from being honest about your earnings.

I'm dealing with a similar situation right now - started a new part-time retail job while still collecting unemployment. The weekly certification process asks very specific questions about work performed and earnings, so there's really no ambiguity about what you need to report. One thing that helped me was keeping detailed records of my hours and gross pay each week, including any tips or bonuses. NYS Department of Labor also has a work search requirement waiver if you're working part-time, which is a nice benefit. The partial unemployment system actually makes it easier to transition back to full-time work without the financial cliff you'd face if benefits cut off completely. Just make sure you understand whether your part-time job affects your work search requirements too.

Your weekly claim certification and NYS Department of Labor approval process runs on their normal schedule regardless of holidays. The delay only happens at the final step when your bank receives the ACH deposit. So you'll still see your payment processed in your my.ny.gov account, it just takes longer to show up in your actual bank account.

I've been dealing with this for months now and here's what I've learned - holiday delays are pretty predictable once you know the pattern. If your normal deposit day is Tuesday and there's a Monday holiday, expect it Wednesday. If Wednesday is your day and there's a Thursday holiday, it'll likely come Friday. The key is knowing that it's always 1-2 business days after your normal day, never before. I actually started keeping track in a little notebook so I can plan my budget around holiday weeks. Hope this helps other people avoid the stress I went through my first few times!

This thread has been absolutely amazing to read through! I just started collecting NY unemployment three weeks ago and I've been living in constant Sunday morning anxiety, setting multiple alarms and thinking I'd lose my benefits if I didn't certify by some magical early hour. Reading everyone's experiences about the full week flexibility has been such a relief - I genuinely had no idea you could certify any day through Saturday! I've definitely experienced those Sunday system crashes already where pages just won't load or take forever to respond. The Monday/Tuesday morning certification strategy sounds perfect for avoiding all that weekend stress. What I find most valuable is hearing everyone's actual payment timing experiences - knowing that certifying on Monday typically means getting paid Wednesday instead of Tuesday is so much more practical than the vague "2-3 business days" on the official NYSDOL site. It's incredible how much real-world knowledge this community shares that you just can't find anywhere in the official documentation. Thank you to everyone for being so helpful and sharing your experiences - this discussion is going to save so many people from unnecessary certification anxiety!

This thread is exactly what I needed to find! I just started collecting NY unemployment two weeks ago and have been absolutely terrified about missing certification deadlines. I was setting Sunday morning alarms at 6 AM thinking I had to certify immediately or lose my benefits entirely. Reading through everyone's experiences about being able to certify any day through Saturday is such an enormous relief! I've already dealt with those frustrating Sunday system crashes where the site takes forever to load or just times out completely - it's so stressful when you're already worried about missing deadlines. The Monday or Tuesday morning certification strategy sounds perfect for avoiding all that weekend chaos. What I find most helpful is seeing everyone's real payment timing experiences - knowing that certifying on Monday typically means getting paid Wednesday instead of Tuesday is infinitely more useful than the vague "within a few business days" messaging on the official NYSDOL site. Thank you to everyone for sharing your knowledge and real-world experiences. This community is already proving to be way more valuable than trying to figure everything out from confusing official websites alone!

From what I understand, NYS Department of Labor treats stopped certification as you declaring yourself no longer unemployed or available for work. This means your claim ends permanently - not just paused. If your circumstances change and you become unemployed again, you'd file as a new claimant, not a continued claim. The job search requirements are annoying but way easier than going through the entire application and waiting period again.

I was in a similar situation last month and almost stopped certifying because I was so burned out from the weekly requirements. What helped me push through was setting up a simple system - I keep a basic spreadsheet with just the minimum required job contacts and spend 30 minutes every Sunday updating it. The weekly certification then takes me maybe 10 minutes instead of the hour it used to take when I was scrambling to remember what I did. Trust me, the temporary frustration is nothing compared to having to restart the entire process. The NYS system is definitely designed to be annoying, but once you find your rhythm it becomes much more manageable.