Nothing bad about it at all!! I filed when my restaurant closed during covid and it literally saved my life financially. The stigma is just old fashioned thinking.

Grace, please don't let outdated stigma prevent you from getting benefits you've earned! I work in HR and can tell you that filing for unemployment absolutely does not show up on background checks or hurt your employability. In fact, many employers understand that layoffs happen and it's completely normal. The only thing that might look bad to future employers is if you turn down reasonable job offers while collecting benefits, but as long as you're actively looking for work (which you have to document anyway), you're fine. File as soon as possible - you typically can't get benefits for weeks before you applied, so every day you wait is money lost. The NYS Department of Labor website walks you through everything step by step.

Same boat here, been doing the minimum 3 activities but maybe I need to do more? My adjudication officer mentioned something about 'good faith effort' during my phone interview.

From my experience, the most effective combo is direct applications + follow-up calls + visiting local career centers. I was stuck for 3 months just doing online applications, but once I started actually calling employers a few days after applying AND attending the free resume workshops at my local One-Stop Career Center, things picked up fast. The career center staff also helped me identify which job boards actually have real postings vs the fake ones that just collect your info. Also don't overlook LinkedIn networking - sending personalized messages to people in your field counts as a networking activity and sometimes leads to referrals.

I'm dealing with this exact same issue right now! Filed my new claim about 16 days ago and my balance is still showing $0 even though I got approved with a new benefit year end date. It's so stressful not knowing if this is normal or if something went wrong with my application. I've been certifying every week like everyone suggests, but seeing that zero balance is really anxiety-inducing when bills are piling up. Has anyone here had success with just waiting it out versus calling? I'm torn between being patient and worrying that there's actually a problem that needs to be fixed. Thanks for posting this - it helps to know others are going through the same thing!

I'm in the same boat as many of you here! Filed my new claim about 19 days ago and still showing $0 balance, but I did get the updated BYE date. The waiting is honestly the worst part because you never know if it's just slow processing or if there's actually an issue that needs attention. I've been religiously certifying every week even with the zero showing, and checking my inbox daily for that monetary determination letter everyone mentions. Still nothing yet! Reading through all these responses is actually really helpful - sounds like anywhere from 2-4 weeks seems to be the norm, which is longer than I expected but at least gives me a realistic timeline. I think I'll give it until the full 3 week mark before considering other options. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences, it definitely helps with the anxiety of not knowing what's normal!

This whole system is so backwards though. Like why should employers have to pay for unemployment when half the time people get fired for legitimate reasons? Just creates more costs for businesses trying to operate.

Thanks everyone for clarifying this! I had the same confusion when I started my first job. One thing to add - if you're ever unsure whether your employer is properly registered and paying UI taxes, you can also check your pay stub. While you won't see a deduction for unemployment insurance (since you don't pay it), legitimate employers will often list it in the "employer taxes" section or have it noted somewhere. Also, keep all your pay stubs - you'll need them if you ever have to file for unemployment benefits to prove your wages and work history.

I'm experiencing the exact same delays and it's absolutely maddening. Filed my claim in late January and still stuck on "pending" with zero communication from NYS DOL. What's really concerning me is that I keep hearing different stories - some people wait 6-8 weeks, others are going on 3+ months with no resolution. The complete lack of transparency is what makes this so stressful. You can't plan or budget when you have no idea if your claim will be processed next week or next month. I've been avoiding the phone route because of the horror stories, but after reading these responses I think I need to try the assembly member approach that several people mentioned. It seems like the only way to get actual human intervention in these stuck cases. @Aisha Rahman and @Dylan Cooper, thanks for sharing the success stories - gives me hope that there might be a way forward. This system clearly wasn't designed to handle the volume they're dealing with, but leaving people in limbo for months without any updates is just cruel.

I'm in the exact same situation and it's incredibly frustrating! Filed my claim in mid-January and have been stuck on "pending" status for over 6 weeks now. What really gets me is that there's absolutely no way to get a status update or even basic information about what's causing the delay. I've been religiously doing my weekly certifications but it feels pointless when nothing is moving forward. Reading through these responses, it sounds like the assembly member route might be the most promising option since multiple people have had success with that approach. I'm definitely going to try contacting my local representative's office this week. The uncertainty is honestly the worst part - I can handle waiting if I know there's a timeline, but being completely in the dark while bills pile up is causing so much stress. Has anyone had any luck with the online chat feature, or is that just as useless as the phone system?