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I had trouble getting through to NYS Department of Labor when I needed help with my application. If you run into issues and can't reach anyone by phone, there's a service called Claimyr at claimyr.com that helped me get connected to an actual agent. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI showing how it works. Way better than sitting on hold for hours.
The NYS Department of Labor system is completely broken. They'll tell you 2-3 weeks but that's total BS. I know people who waited 2+ months just for an initial determination. And don't even get me started on trying to reach them by phone - it's designed to frustrate you into giving up.
ugh the whole unemployment system is such a mess. took me FOREVER to even get my first payment and then when i called to ask about the amount they gave me the runaround for hours. the average payment doesnt matter if you cant even get approved in the first place!!
The unemployment tax system is such a scam anyway!!! Companies pay pennies compared to what they save by laying people off instead of keeping them employed. Meanwhile we're all scrambling to survive on half our wages. The whole system is designed to benefit employers not workers
Just to add some specifics - in NY the employer tax rate ranges from about 0.6% to 9.9% of their payroll depending on their experience rating. New employers start at around 3.4%. But again, this is totally separate from your claim process. Focus on gathering your employment documentation and be ready to file as soon as your last day of work happens.
Oliver Fischer
I remember learning about this in my economics class years ago but honestly the categories seem more academic than practical when you're just trying to get your unemployment benefits processed lol
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Natasha Petrova
The NYS Department of Labor system is so backwards anyway. They probably have their own weird internal classifications that don't match anything logical. I've been dealing with them for months on an overpayment issue and every agent tells me something different. The whole system needs an overhaul!!!
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Yara Sabbagh
•I understand the frustration, but the classification system is actually pretty standardized across states. The real issue is usually communication and wait times, not the underlying categories themselves.
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