New York Unemployment
CommunityGovernment Services
Can't reach New York Unemployment? Claimyr calls for you, so you don't have to wait on hold.
$19.99StandardOne price
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
Ask the community...
- 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 :)
Where can I apply for unemployment benefits in New York?
I just got laid off from my job at a manufacturing plant in Rochester and need to file for unemployment benefits. I've never done this before and I'm honestly confused about where to even start the application process. Do I apply online somewhere or do I need to go to a physical office? I heard there's a website but I want to make sure I'm doing this right and not missing any steps. Can someone walk me through where exactly I need to go to apply for unemployment in New York?
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Can you buy a house on unemployment benefits from NYS Department of Labor?
I've been collecting unemployment from NYS Department of Labor for about 4 months now and my benefits run until next March. My credit score is actually decent (around 720) and I have some savings from my last job. There's a house in my neighborhood that just came on the market and it's perfect for me and my kids. The mortgage payment would be less than what I'm paying in rent right now. Has anyone successfully gotten a mortgage while on unemployment? Do lenders even consider UI benefits as income? I'm worried they'll just reject me automatically when they see I'm unemployed.
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If you're having trouble getting through to NYS Department of Labor to verify your benefit continuation dates, I used claimyr.com a few weeks ago when I needed to speak with an agent about my claim status. They have this video demo that shows exactly how it works: https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI. Saved me hours of trying to call myself. Getting official documentation about your benefit timeline might help with the mortgage application.
Never heard of that service before. Does it actually work or is it just another scam?
No it's legit. They basically get you connected to an actual NYS Department of Labor agent instead of you sitting on hold forever. I was skeptical too but it worked for me.
How long after applying for unemployment NYS Department of Labor do you get approved - timeline questions
Filed my UI claim with NYS Department of Labor about 10 days ago and still haven't heard anything back about approval. My claim status just says 'under review' when I check my.ny.gov. I lost my job at a manufacturing plant in Rochester and need to know what's normal for approval times. I've been doing the weekly claims like they told me but getting anxious about when the benefits will actually start. Has anyone else had to wait this long? Should I be worried something's wrong with my application?
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The 'under review' status is completely normal and doesn't mean there's a problem. NYS Department of Labor has to verify your employment history and earnings before they can approve benefits. Manufacturing jobs usually have straightforward verification so yours should process smoothly. Just be patient and keep doing your weekly certifications.
Does unemployment benefits affect credit score or future employment background checks in NY?
I'm thinking about filing for unemployment benefits with NYS Department of Labor but I'm worried about how it might show up later. Does unemployment go on your credit report or show up when employers do background checks? I've been out of work for 2 weeks and really need the money but don't want it to hurt my chances of getting hired somewhere else. Has anyone had issues with this?
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Just make sure you keep up with your weekly claims and job search requirements while collecting. The NYS Department of Labor is pretty strict about that stuff and you don't want to get hit with an overpayment later.
Good point - what exactly are the job search requirements? I want to make sure I do everything right.
I had trouble getting through to NYS Department of Labor when I needed to verify some information about my claim status. If you run into issues reaching them by phone, I found this service called Claimyr that helped me get connected to an actual agent. They have a website at claimyr.com and there's a demo video at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI showing how it works. Really saved me a lot of frustration with busy signals.
Interesting, I might need to check that out. The NYS Department of Labor phone lines are always jammed.
What does unemployment benefits mean in NYS - confused about the whole process
I keep hearing people talk about unemployment benefits but honestly I have no idea what that actually means. Like I know its money from the government but how does it work? Do you just apply and get money? Is there paperwork? My job just cut my hours way down and someone said I might qualify but I dont even know where to start or what unemployment benefits actually are. Can someone explain this to me like im 5 years old?
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I've been trying to reach the NYS Department of Labor for weeks about my benefits getting stopped and their phone system is impossible. Has anyone found a way to actually talk to a human being there? I need to understand why my payments stopped but can't get through to anyone.
I had the same problem until I found Claimyr - it's a service that calls the NYS Department of Labor for you and gets you connected to an actual agent. Check out claimyr.com and they have a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI that shows how it works. Saved me hours of trying to get through myself.
Just want to add that unemployment benefits in NY also come with job search requirements. You need to make at least 3 job contacts per week and keep a log of your search activities. The NYS Department of Labor can ask to see this log at any time. Benefits aren't just free money - there are responsibilities that come with them.
Melody Miles
If you're having trouble getting through the website or need help with the application, I actually used a service called Claimyr that helped me reach a NYS Department of Labor agent directly. Sometimes the website can be confusing for first-time filers and it's helpful to talk to someone. Check out claimyr.com - they have a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI that shows how it works.
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Nathaniel Mikhaylov
Is that legit? I've never heard of using a service to contact unemployment.
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Melody Miles
Yeah it's real, they just help you get through to an actual person at NYS Department of Labor when the phone lines are busy. Way better than sitting on hold for hours.
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Eva St. Cyr
Whatever you do, DON'T wait to apply! I made that mistake thinking I'd find another job quickly and missed out on weeks of benefits. The NYS Department of Labor has a one-week waiting period anyway, so the sooner you file the better. And yes, it's all online now - they closed most of the physical offices during COVID and never reopened them.
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Chloe Zhang
AuthorGood to know about the waiting period. I was wondering if I'd get paid right away.
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