New York plans 12-day unemployment system shutdown

New York will take its more than 50-year-old unemployment insurance system offline at 5 p.m. Monday, Nov. 2, for a $188 million upgrade expected to last nine to 12 days. During the outage, people will be unable to file claims, certify for weekly benefits, or use online and phone services; current recipients should certify before the shutdown, while people who lose jobs during it must wait to apply and can backdate claims. The state says eligible benefits will be paid once the new system is available, but the delay is a serious concern for people relying on the money for basic expenses. Claimants must keep documenting at least three work-search activities each week unless exempt. Officials say the new system is intended to make claims easier to manage, including through smartphone access and real-time claim tracking.