JobsTuesday, November 3
NY's unemployment system is offline for up to 12 days, and RochesterWorks can't help with claims
The Rochester Morning News team
If you're filing for unemployment or already collecting it, the state's system is offline for nine to 12 days while the Department of Labor upgrades a platform that's about 50 years old. It went down Monday, Nov. 2, and WXXI News says the shutdown started at 5 p.m.
9 to 12 daysthe state's unemployment system is expected to stay offline
New claims, weekly certifications and account access are all unavailable until the upgrade is done.
Sources: RochesterFirst, WXXI News
Payments could be delayed until the upgraded system is running. Labor Commissioner Roberta Reardon said claimants who filed before the shutdown shouldn't be affected.
You can't file or certify, but job search help continues
| Task | During the outage |
|---|---|
| File a new claim | Unavailable |
| Certify for weekly benefits | Unavailable |
| Access account information | Unavailable |
| Job search help at RochesterWorks | Available |
Sources: RochesterFirst, WXXI News
- Work search: at least three activities a week, unless exempt
- Payments are denied until you provide proof of work search
- Businesses: NYS-1 and NYS-45 filings aren't affected
- After the upgrade: file and certify from your phone
RochesterWorks CEO Dave Seeley said staff can't help with claims while the system's down, but job search and career questions are fair game by phone, virtual appointment or in person. The department will notify claimants directly when services return.
Sources: RochesterFirst, Democrat and Chronicle, WXXI News