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If I could give 10 stars I would If I could give 10 stars I would Such an amazing service so needed during the times when EDD almost never picks up Claimyr gets me on the phone with EDD every time without fail faster. A much needed service without Claimyr I would have never received the payment I needed to support me during my postpartum recovery. Thank you so much Claimyr!
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I work in HR and deal with this stuff all the time. Your claim number is definitely in the initial filing confirmation - it's required by law that they provide it. If you truly can't find any documentation, NYS Department of Labor can verify your identity over the phone using your SSN, full name, and address to look up your claim. The key is actually getting through to speak with someone, which I know is the main challenge right now.
Thanks, that's really helpful to know. I'll keep trying to call and have all my info ready. Do you know if there are better times to call when they might be less busy?
Tuesday through Thursday mornings seem to have shorter wait times in my experience. Avoid Mondays and Fridays if possible.
Have you tried checking your text messages? When I filed my claim, NYS Department of Labor sent me a confirmation text with my claim number right after I submitted the application. It might be buried in your message history if you haven't deleted it. Also, if you have a case worker assigned to your claim, sometimes their contact info includes your claim number in their email signature or voicemail messages.
Good tip about checking text messages! I didn't even think to look there. I'll go through my message history from when I first applied. The case worker idea is interesting too - I'm not sure if I have one assigned yet since my claim might still be in adjudication, but I'll check any voicemails I might have missed from DOL numbers.
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The NYS Department of Labor wage determination process is actually pretty straightforward once you understand it. They're calculating your weekly benefit amount based on your highest earning quarter in the base period. If you had any issues with unreported wages or worked for employers who went out of business, that can delay things. But in most cases it's just verification.
That makes sense. My employer is still in business and I always got regular W2s so hopefully it goes smoothly. Thanks for explaining!
I went through wage determination about 6 months ago and it took exactly 2 weeks for me. What helped was that I kept all my pay stubs and had my employment dates ready when I first filed. The NYS Department of Labor will also look at any severance pay you received - that might affect your benefit start date but won't reduce your weekly amount. Just be patient, Omar, since you worked for the same company for 3 years your wage history should be pretty straightforward to verify.
That's really helpful to know about the severance pay - I did get a small severance package when I was laid off so good to know that might affect the start date. I kept most of my recent pay stubs but wish I had kept them all now! Do you remember if they asked for any additional documentation during your wage determination process?
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Just to add some clarity - I went through this exact situation last year. The NYS Department of Labor website has a specific section called "Work Search Requirements" that breaks everything down. You need to document your job search activities and be prepared to provide proof if requested. This includes the employer name, position applied for, date of contact, and method of contact. I kept a simple spreadsheet that saved me when I got randomly selected for a review. Also, don't forget that you can count things like updating your resume, attending virtual job fairs, or even informational interviews as valid job search activities. The key is being genuine about your efforts and keeping good records.
This is super helpful! I wish I had seen this before I started panicking. The spreadsheet idea is genius - I'm going to start one today. Quick question though - do virtual job fairs actually count as one of your 3 weekly contacts? And if I attend one job fair but talk to 5 different employers there, does that count as 5 contacts or just 1?
Great question! From what I understand, each employer contact at a job fair counts as a separate contact, so talking to 5 employers would be 5 contacts. Just make sure to document each one separately with the company name and who you spoke with. Virtual job fairs definitely count - I attended a few through the state's workforce development site and they were really helpful. The key is being specific in your records about what you did at each booth or virtual room you visited.
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The unemployment system is so confusing! I thought I understood it but then my claim went into adjudication and I realized I had no clue what half these terms meant. At least now I know I can work part-time and still get benefits.
I'm in the same boat! The adjudication process is nerve-wracking when you're not sure if you filled everything out correctly. At least this thread helped clarify the part-time work situation - I was worried I'd have to stop my freelance gigs completely.
Just want to add that the "able and available" requirement is really important - I learned this the hard way. Even if you're unemployed, if you have restrictions on when/where you can work (like only certain hours due to childcare), you need to report that accurately. NYS DOL considers your availability when determining eligibility. Also, the base period earnings requirement trips up a lot of people - you need sufficient wages in your base period (usually the first 4 of the last 5 completed calendar quarters before you file). If you haven't worked much in the past year, you might not qualify even if you're currently unemployed.
This is really good to know about the base period earnings! I've been working pretty steadily but had a gap earlier this year where I was only doing gig work. Do you know if gig work earnings count toward the base period requirements, or does it have to be traditional W-2 employment? I'm worried my Uber and DoorDash income might not qualify.
Yuki Tanaka
THE WHOLE SYSTEM IS A NIGHTMARE! I've been filing these stupid quarterly reports for 3 years and they STILL send me penalty notices for no reason. Half the time their own website doesn't work properly during filing season. And don't get me started on trying to reach anyone by phone - it's like they don't want employers to actually comply with the law!
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Esmeralda Gómez
•I hear you on the website issues. Sometimes I have to try multiple browsers just to get the filing to go through.
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Anna Kerber
Also worth noting that if you have employees working in multiple states, you'll need to file separate quarterly reports for each state. New York only covers wages paid to employees working in NY. Make sure you're calculating the taxable wage base correctly too - for 2025, it's the first $12,300 of each employee's annual wages. The tax rate varies depending on your experience rating, but new employers typically start around 4.1%. Keep detailed payroll records because NYS Department of Labor can audit up to 4 years back.
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Kai Rivera
•This is really helpful information about the wage base and tax rates! I had no idea about the 4-year audit window - that's definitely something to keep in mind. Since I'm new to all this, do you know if there are any specific record-keeping requirements beyond just payroll records? Like do I need to maintain copies of the actual quarterly filings or just rely on what's in the NYS Business Express system?
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