Can't reach New York Unemployment? Claimyr calls for you, so you don't have to wait on hold.
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Claimyr is a pay-as-you-go service. We do not charge a recurring subscription.
Using Claimyr will:
- Connect you to a human agent at the NYDOL
- Skip the long phone menu
- Call the correct department
- Redial until on hold
- Forward a call to your phone with reduced hold time
- Give you free callbacks if the NYDOL drops your call
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- DO post questions about your issues.
- DO answer questions and support each other.
- DO post tips & tricks to help folks.
- DO NOT post call problems here - there is a support tab at the top for that :)
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wait what happens if you get a part time job while on unemployment? do you lose everything or just get reduced benefits?? I might have an opportunity but scared to mess up my claim
You can work part-time and still collect benefits! You just need to report your earnings on your weekly claim. They'll reduce your benefit amount based on how much you earned, but you won't lose everything unless you earn over a certain threshold.
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The pay type progress field tracks your claim through different payment phases in the NYS Department of Labor system. It typically shows stages like 'Initial Review', 'Payment Authorization', 'Active Payments', etc. This helps both you and NYS Department of Labor staff understand exactly where your claim stands in the payment pipeline. It's mostly for administrative tracking purposes.
Perfect explanation, that clears it up completely. I was worried it meant there was some problem with my claim.
If you're having trouble getting clear answers from the NYS Department of Labor website or phone system, I had good luck using Claimyr (claimyr.com) to actually reach a live agent who could explain all these confusing status fields. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI that shows how it works. Sometimes talking to an actual person makes these system details much clearer than trying to decode them yourself.
Interesting, I've never heard of that service before. Have you used it yourself for NYS Department of Labor questions?
Yes, I used it when I was confused about my adjudication status a few months ago. Much easier than sitting on hold for hours or trying to figure out the cryptic status messages on my own.
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The weekly amount can change if you have part-time work during any week. They reduce your benefit based on how much you earn, but there's a small amount you can make without any reduction. I think it's like $143 or something around there for 2025.
I was having trouble getting through to NYS Department of Labor to ask about this exact thing - the partial work rules. Kept getting busy signals for weeks. Finally used claimyr.com to get connected to an actual agent and they explained the whole partial benefit calculation. There's a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI that shows how it works. Really saved me a lot of frustration trying to call on my own.
Thanks for that info! I might need to work part-time so good to know there's some wiggle room before they reduce the payment.
Just remember you also have to do job search activities every week and keep records of it. They can audit your job search log at any time and if you don't have the required contacts, they'll disqualify you and demand repayment of benefits. The requirements are pretty specific about what counts as a valid job contact.
How many job contacts do I need per week? And what exactly counts as a valid contact?
For most people it's 3 job contacts per week. Valid contacts include applying for jobs, contacting employers directly, attending job fairs, or networking activities. Just browsing job sites doesn't count - you need to actually apply or make contact.
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If you're having trouble getting through to the NYS Department of Labor by phone to check on your application status, I used a 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. Was really helpful when my claim got stuck in adjudication and I couldn't reach anyone for weeks.
Never heard of that but might be worth checking out, the phone system is basically impossible
Just to set expectations - filing the initial claim is just the first step. It can take 2-3 weeks before you get your first payment even if everything goes smoothly. If there are any issues with your employment history or reason for separation, it could go into adjudication which adds more time.
What kinds of issues cause adjudication? I was laid off due to company downsizing so hopefully that's straightforward.
Ravi Choudhury
honestly the unemployment system is so messed up, they approve almost everyone these days regardless of why they got fired. i've seen people get benefits after stealing from their employer! the burden of proof is ridiculous for small business owners
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Emma Davis
•That's not accurate - theft would definitely be misconduct that disqualifies someone. NYS Department of Labor does investigate these cases but you have to provide proper documentation.
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Freya Andersen
Wait I'm confused about this whole thing. If someone gets fired can they always get unemployment? What if they were a terrible employee?
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Emma Davis
•Being a terrible employee isn't automatically disqualifying. NYS Department of Labor distinguishes between inability to do the job (still eligible) vs willful misconduct like violating clear policies (may be disqualified).
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