I had a similar issue with my claim being stuck in adjudication. What helped me was also contacting my local assemblyperson's office - they have a constituent services department that can sometimes help expedite these situations. I called my assemblyperson's office, explained the situation, and they actually reached out to the Department of Labor on my behalf. Within a week I got a call from an adjudicator to resolve my case. It's worth trying if the direct calling approach doesn't work out. You can find your assemblyperson by entering your zip code on the NY Assembly website.

I'm dealing with the same frustrating situation right now - my claim has been in adjudication for 6 weeks and I can barely get anyone on the phone. Reading through these responses has been super helpful though. I'm definitely going to try the 8 AM calling strategy that Mason mentioned, and if that doesn't work out, reaching out to my assemblyperson's office sounds like a solid backup plan. It's crazy that we have to jump through all these hoops just to get basic help with our claims, but at least now I have some concrete steps to follow instead of just randomly calling throughout the day. Thanks everyone for sharing what actually worked for you!

Thanks everyone for explaining this! I was in the same boat as OP - felt weird about collecting benefits without understanding where the money comes from. It's actually pretty reassuring to know that employers were paying into this system specifically to cover unemployment situations. Makes me realize it really is something we've earned through working, not just a handout. My understanding now is that it's basically like any other type of insurance - you pay premiums (through your employer in this case) and then can file claims when you need it.

This thread has been so helpful! I'm currently on unemployment too and had the exact same questions. What really clicked for me is thinking about it like car insurance - you pay premiums (or in this case your employer does) and when you need to use it, you're not taking someone else's money, you're using the insurance you paid into. It's actually pretty smart how they set up the system so that employers with higher turnover rates pay more, just like how risky drivers pay higher car insurance premiums. Really takes away that guilt feeling about using the benefits!

I just successfully went through this process yesterday after reading through everyone's incredibly helpful experiences! As someone who was completely lost about how to properly handle my unemployment claim when starting a new job, this thread has been a lifesaver. Following the detailed directions from @Chris King, @Luca Marino, and others, I logged into my.ny.gov and found the "Report Work and Earnings" section right on the unemployment dashboard exactly where everyone said it would be. The whole form took about 4 minutes to complete - I just needed my new employer's information and start date. What really impressed me was getting the confirmation email from NYS Department of Labor within just 2 hours! The email officially acknowledged my return-to-work status and I can see my claim has been updated accordingly. For anyone still searching, the key is logging into my.ny.gov, going to your unemployment services dashboard, and looking for "Report Work and Earnings" or "Manage My Claim" - it's definitely there even though it's not super obvious at first glance. This community has created such an amazing resource with all the step-by-step guidance - thank you everyone for sharing your detailed experiences and saving newcomers like me from hours of phone calls and stress!

I just went through this exact same process last week after being in the identical situation! Like many others here, I was initially going to just stop filing weekly claims and cross my fingers, but after reading similar advice online I decided to do it properly. I logged into my.ny.gov and found the "Report Work and Earnings" section right on the unemployment dashboard - it really is exactly where everyone has described it. The form was super quick and straightforward, just needed my new employer details and start date. Got the confirmation email from NYS Department of Labor the next morning which was such a relief! One thing I'd add is to double-check that your employer information is accurate when you fill it out - I almost made a typo on the company name but caught it before submitting. The whole process honestly took less time than it took me to read through this helpful thread! Thanks to everyone who shared their step-by-step experiences - this community knowledge is so much better than trying to navigate the official website blindly. Congrats on the new job @Lucas Kowalski - you're going to be fine with this process!

I went through this exact process about 8 months ago when my accounting firm suddenly shut down. NYS Department of Labor was actually very efficient with the verification - they pulled my wage history automatically from their quarterly reporting system within a few days of filing. What really put me at ease was learning that they have specific protocols for handling business closures. They don't expect you to track down disappeared employers. In my case, I uploaded my last three paystubs, my previous year's W-2, and a brief note explaining that the business had closed suddenly. I also included my final direct deposit statement from my bank showing my last paycheck. The adjudicator called me about a week later just to confirm the closure details, but it was a very straightforward conversation. She mentioned that business closures are flagged in their system as automatic involuntary separations, so the focus is just on verifying you actually worked there and when your last day was. My benefits started two weeks after filing. The key is having any documentation that shows you were employed there - paystubs are perfect for this. Don't worry too much about the missing employer; the state deals with this situation all the time.

I just went through this process myself about two months ago when my small marketing company suddenly went out of business. NYS Department of Labor made it surprisingly straightforward despite my initial worries. They automatically verified my employment through their quarterly wage database - I could actually see my work history populate in real-time when I logged into my account a few days after filing. The most important thing is having your paystubs and any bank records showing direct deposits. I uploaded everything I had: final paystubs, W-2, and screenshots of my direct deposits. In the separation reason section, I clearly stated "business closure - employer unreachable." They processed my claim in about 10 days without needing to contact me for additional information. Business closure is one of the clearest cases for unemployment eligibility, so don't stress too much. The system is definitely set up to handle situations where small employers disappear. Just be thorough with your documentation and honest about the circumstances.

Just wanted to add that if you're having trouble understanding your specific benefit calculations, you can also check your "Payment History" section in the NY.gov online portal. It breaks down each week showing your reported earnings, the earnings disregard amount, and exactly how much was deducted from your benefits. I found this really helpful when I was trying to figure out the math myself. It's under the "View Payment History" link once you log into your account. Sometimes seeing the actual numbers from your past claims makes way more sense than trying to work through hypothetical examples.

I've been dealing with partial unemployment for about 6 months now and honestly the earnings disregard calculation still trips me up sometimes. One thing I learned the hard way is that if you have any deductions from your pay (like union dues or health insurance premiums), you report your GROSS earnings, not what you actually take home. I was reporting my net pay for the first few weeks and it messed up my benefit calculations until I realized my mistake. Also, if you work for multiple employers in the same week, you have to add up ALL your earnings from that week - you can't treat each job separately. The NYS Department of Labor system will automatically apply the earnings disregard to your total combined income for that week.