This exact thing happen to me and there was a ERROR in there system. When I finally got through to an agent (used claimyr.com) they fixed it on the spot. Turns out my employer reported my wages but they weren't showing up right in the system. Don't give up!!

Have you tried requesting your wage and benefit statement directly from the unemployment office? Sometimes there are discrepancies between what your employer reported and what shows up in their system. I had a similar issue where my wages weren't properly credited to the right quarters, and it took getting an actual person on the phone to manually review and correct it. Also, make sure they're considering ALL your employment - if you had multiple jobs or worked in different states, sometimes those wages don't get automatically included. The processing status probably means they're still reviewing your case, so don't lose hope yet!

I actually had a similar experience when I was job hunting after being on unemployment for about 10 months. The anxiety about it showing up on background checks was real! But everyone here is right - it doesn't appear on standard employment screenings. What helped me was preparing a brief, honest explanation for the employment gap that focused on what I did during that time to stay productive (like taking online courses, volunteering, or freelance work). Most interviewers are understanding about layoffs, especially given how common they've become. The key is being confident and forward-looking in how you present yourself. You've got this!

I can add some perspective from the employer side - we run background checks through major screening companies and have never seen unemployment benefit information appear in any reports. The screening services simply don't have access to NYS Department of Labor databases for UI claims. What we do see are things like criminal records, employment verification, education verification, and sometimes credit reports (if relevant to the position). Your unemployment history is protected information and stays between you and the state agency. The only time unemployment might come up is if there's an employment gap that raises questions during the interview process, but even then you can simply explain you were between positions without going into specifics about benefits.

This thread has been absolutely incredible! I've been struggling with the exact same issue for over a month now - my benefits were suspended in early February after I started a small tutoring business and began reporting self-employment income. Like everyone else, I've been trapped in the endless call loop with nothing but automated messages and disconnections. Reading through all these success stories, especially StarSailor's update about actually getting through with the 8:07am / 1-4-2 method, gives me real hope for the first time in weeks. Connor's insider knowledge about the system flagging accounts for income discrepancies makes so much sense - I bet that's exactly what happened to me too. I'm definitely going to try the 8:07am call tomorrow morning, and I've already gathered all my tutoring income records and weekly schedules like everyone suggested. It's such a relief to know that this is a solvable problem and that I'm not the only one dealing with this bureaucratic nightmare. The fact that people are getting 2-3 day turnarounds once they reach someone is encouraging too. Thank you all for sharing your experiences and creating such a helpful resource thread. I'll report back once I hopefully get through! Fingers crossed the 1-4-2 sequence works its magic for me too.

This thread has been a goldmine of information! I'm dealing with a similar issue - my benefits were cut off about 2 weeks ago after I started working part-time at a local bookstore. I've been calling constantly with zero luck, just getting that same "high call volume" message every single time. The system is absolutely maddening! I'm really encouraged by all the success stories here, especially the detailed tips from Connor who worked at NYSDOL. The 8:07am timing with the 1-4-2 sequence seems to be the golden ticket based on multiple people's experiences. I love that we have such specific, actionable advice rather than just the usual "keep calling" suggestions you see everywhere else. One thing I want to add for anyone else reading this - I've been keeping a detailed log of every call attempt (time, date, which menu options I tried) and it's been really helpful for my own sanity to see the patterns. Plus I figure it might be useful information if I need to escalate to my assembly member like GalaxyGuardian suggested. Going to set my alarm for 8:05am tomorrow and give the proven method a shot. Will definitely report back with results. Thank you everyone for sharing your experiences - this community support means everything when dealing with such a frustrating system!

I'm in a similar situation - got approved about a week ago and still waiting for my card. Reading these responses is really helpful! I didn't know about checking the payment history on my.ny.gov, so I'll definitely do that. The timing stress is real when you're counting on these benefits. Has anyone had issues with the card not arriving and had to request a replacement?

I just went through this same process a few weeks ago. My timeline was: approved on a Tuesday, first payment issued the following Monday, and the KeyBank card arrived exactly 8 business days after the payment was issued. The waiting is definitely nerve-wracking when you need the money, but it sounds like you're right on track with the normal timeline. Once you get the card, make sure to set up the KeyBank app - it makes checking your balance and finding ATMs much easier than calling the phone number on the back of the card.

I went through this exact same situation about 6 months ago and it was so stressful! My employer also used "discharged" on all the paperwork even though it was clearly a mass layoff - they let go of our entire customer service team (about 20 people) when they moved operations overseas. I was terrified that the word "discharged" would hurt my claim, but I filed anyway and was approved within about 3 weeks. The key is being very detailed in the explanation section about what actually happened. I wrote something like "Position eliminated due to company restructuring - entire department of 20+ employees was eliminated when company moved operations overseas. This was not due to performance or misconduct but lack of available work." They ended up calling my former employer to verify, and once they confirmed it was a legitimate layoff situation, my benefits started. Don't let the terminology your employer used discourage you from filing - focus on clearly explaining the real circumstances and you should be fine!

I'm dealing with this exact same confusion right now! My company called it a "discharge" but it was really a reduction in force - they eliminated 8 positions including mine due to "economic restructuring." Reading through everyone's responses is so helpful because I was honestly scared to even apply thinking the word "discharge" would automatically disqualify me. It sounds like the consensus is that NYS Department of Labor looks at the actual circumstances rather than just the employer's word choice. I'm going to file tomorrow and make sure to clearly explain that multiple positions were eliminated simultaneously due to budget/economic reasons, not due to any misconduct or performance issues on my part. This community is amazing - thank you all for sharing your experiences and helping newcomers like me understand the process better!