I'm going through this exact same situation right now - filed my claim 10 days ago after losing my restaurant job. The waiting and not knowing is honestly the worst part! Reading everyone's timelines here is really helpful. I've been doing my weekly certifications religiously (thanks for the Sunday alarm tip, definitely setting that up). One thing I wanted to add is that I called the NYS DOL office and they told me to check my online account regularly because sometimes they'll post messages there if they need additional information, rather than sending mail or email. Also learned that if you worked in multiple states in the past 18 months, that can sometimes delay things while they verify wages across state lines. Fingers crossed we all get through this process smoothly!

I'm in a similar boat - filed my claim 5 days ago after getting laid off from my customer service job. Reading through everyone's experiences here has been incredibly helpful! It sounds like the 2-3 week timeline is pretty consistent as long as there aren't any complications. I made sure to set up direct deposit when I filed and have been doing my weekly certifications (that Sunday alarm suggestion is genius). One thing I'm curious about - for those who've gone through this, did you get any kind of confirmation or status update during those 2-3 weeks, or do you just have to wait until the money shows up? The uncertainty is definitely the hardest part when you're trying to figure out your budget for the next month.

Based on your $52k salary, you'll likely qualify for a decent weekly benefit amount. To give you a rough estimate - if your highest quarter was around $13k (which would be typical for that salary), you'd get about $500 per week, which is close to the maximum. The NYS Department of Labor calculator on their website can give you a more precise estimate if you know your quarterly earnings. Just make sure you have all your wage statements ready when you apply - it makes the process much smoother.

One thing to keep in mind is that the benefit duration is also capped - you can typically receive benefits for up to 26 weeks in NY, though this can sometimes be extended during periods of high unemployment. Also, you'll need to be actively searching for work and document your job search activities each week to continue receiving benefits. The NYS Department of Labor requires you to make at least 3 work search contacts per week and keep records of your applications, interviews, etc. It's worth setting up a system to track this from day one since they do audit claims periodically.

This whole system is so frustrating! Why don't they explain this stuff when you file for unemployment? I've been stressed about the same thing and now I find out I was worrying for nothing since I already have enough quarters.

I went through this exact worry when I was laid off from my construction job last year. Like others mentioned, you can create an account at ssa.gov and view your complete earnings history - it shows every year you worked and how much you earned. Since you've been working 35 years, you definitely have the 40 quarters needed. The unemployment gap won't hurt your eligibility at all, just might slightly reduce the final benefit amount since it's calculated on your highest earning years. Don't stress too much about it - you're in good shape for retirement!

Great to hear you got it resolved! This is a really helpful thread for anyone dealing with mobile certification issues. For future reference, I've found that clearing your browser cache before certifying on mobile can help prevent these submission failures. Also, if you're on a spotty connection, it's worth waiting for better signal or switching to wifi before starting the certification process. The system doesn't always give clear error messages when the submission fails partway through.

This is such a common issue with the NY unemployment system! I had the exact same thing happen to me about 6 months ago. The mobile site is notoriously glitchy - sometimes it looks like everything went through but the certification never actually gets recorded in their system. I learned to always screenshot the confirmation page now, just in case. The good news is that they can absolutely fix this retroactively. When you call, make sure to have the exact dates ready and explain that you completed the certification process but it didn't register. They have special procedures for these "lost certifications" and can manually enter it for you. It might take a few tries to get through to someone who knows how to handle it, but don't give up! You're entitled to that payment if you were eligible during that week.

I had trouble reaching NYS Department of Labor when my claim got stuck in adjudication for weeks. Calling their regular number was impossible - always busy or would hang up after being on hold forever. Someone here recommended Claimyr (claimyr.com) which helps you get through to actual agents. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI showing how it works. Saved me weeks of frustration trying to get my claim resolved.

Just wanted to add that I've been hiring in HR for 8 years in NY and we absolutely cannot and do not check unemployment records - it's not even legally accessible to most employers. The only time unemployment might come up is if YOU mention it in an interview, and honestly most hiring managers understand that layoffs happen and it's not a reflection of your work quality. Your dad's advice comes from an older generation when there was more stigma, but that's really not the case anymore. File immediately and don't stress about it affecting future opportunities!