Try calling right at 8am when they open or during lunch hours around 1pm. Those seem to be the best times to actually get through. Also make sure you have your confirmation number ready from when you first filed

I feel your pain - the waiting is absolutely brutal when you're trying to keep up with bills. One thing that helped me was documenting everything in a spreadsheet: dates I called, reference numbers, what representatives told me (if I got through), etc. This documentation became really useful when I finally reached someone who could actually help. Also, if you haven't already, try sending a secure message through the my.ny.gov portal explaining your situation and how long you've been waiting. Sometimes the written requests get routed to different people than the phone calls. Hang in there - I know it feels hopeless but eventually it does get resolved.

Just wanted to add - make sure you keep your work authorization current while collecting benefits. If your DACA expires during your claim period, it could complicate things. But as long as you maintain work authorization, you're good to go.

Don't let fear stop you from applying! I was in your exact situation two years ago - DACA recipient, warehouse job, laid off. I was terrified to apply thinking it might jeopardize my status somehow. But I talked to an immigration lawyer who confirmed that unemployment benefits are completely separate from immigration matters. It's an earned benefit based on your work history and tax contributions. I applied through my.ny.gov and received benefits for several months while job searching. Zero impact on my DACA renewal process. You've paid into the system - you deserve these benefits!

If you're having trouble reaching NYS Department of Labor for any reason, I found this service called Claimyr that helps you get through to their agents. Check out claimyr.com - they have a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI that shows how it works. Really helpful when you can't get through the normal way.

For your paper, you might also want to look into the Wisconsin Unemployment Compensation Act of 1932 - it was actually the first state unemployment insurance law in the US, which helped inspire the federal Social Security Act a few years later. New York followed pretty quickly after the federal mandate. The NYS Department of Labor website has some good historical resources in their archives section if you need more detailed info for your research.

I had trouble getting through to NYS Department of Labor when I needed to speak to someone about my travel nurse claim status. The phone lines are always busy and I kept getting hung up on. Finally found this service called Claimyr (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. Made the whole process so much easier when I needed to verify my employment history with multiple agencies.

The system is so messed up honestly. I know nurses who got denied because they didn't understand how to explain their employment situation properly. NYS Department of Labor doesn't make it easy for people with non-traditional work arrangements.

at least you can still get benefits going forward though, better late than never i guess. just make sure you do those weekly certifications every week or you'll lose more money

I'm in a similar situation - got laid off in September and just filed last month. It's really frustrating to learn you can't get those lost weeks back, but I wanted to share something that might help going forward. Make sure when you certify each week that you're documenting all your job search activities properly. I learned the hard way that NYS DOL can ask for proof of your work search efforts and if you don't have good records, they can deny benefits even for current weeks. Keep a log of every application, contact, and interview. Also, don't forget to report any part-time or temporary work - even a few hours can affect your weekly benefit but it's better to report it than get caught later.