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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I've been trying to get through to NYS Department of Labor to ask about this exact issue but their phone lines are impossible. Been calling for weeks about my tax documents and can never get through to an actual person. The automated system just hangs up on me after 20 minutes on hold.
I had the same problem reaching NYS Department of Labor until someone told me about Claimyr (claimyr.com). They actually get you connected to a real agent instead of waiting forever. There's a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI that shows how it works. I used it to get my 1099-G corrected and it saved me hours of frustration.
Generally speaking, if you expect to owe $1,000 or more in taxes when you file your return, you should be making estimated quarterly payments. This applies to all income sources, including unemployment benefits. The safe harbor rule is that if you pay at least 90% of the current year's tax liability or 100% of last year's tax liability (whichever is smaller), you can avoid penalties.
This is really helpful information. I think I probably should have been making estimated payments. Better late than never I guess.
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Noah Irving
I had such a nightmare trying to get through to someone at NYS Department of Labor to ask about my eligibility. Spent literally hours on hold just to get hung up on. Finally found this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that actually got me connected to a real person in like 15 minutes. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI that shows how it works. Saved me so much frustration when I needed to verify my eligibility status.
Never heard of that but honestly anything is better than sitting on hold for hours just to get disconnected
Madison King
basically if you didn't quit and you're looking for work you probably qualify. the wage requirement isn't that high - think you need like $2600 in your highest quarter or something. don't quote me on the exact number though
KhalilStar
•Close! For 2025, you need at least $3,300 in wages in your highest earning quarter AND total wages of at least 1.5 times your highest quarter wages. So if you made $3,300 in your best quarter, you'd need at least $4,950 total in your base period.
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Freya Larsen
This brings back memories of my economics classes! The business cycle creates that roller coaster effect on employment. I remember during the last recession how overwhelmed NYS Department of Labor was with all the claims flooding in. My brother lost his construction job and it took months to process his UI claim because of the volume.
Omar Hassan
wait so cyclical unemployment is different from seasonal unemployment right?? i always get those confused when talking about my landscaping work
Yes, they're different! Seasonal unemployment happens at predictable times each year (like your landscaping work in winter). Cyclical unemployment is tied to the broader economic cycle and can happen at any time depending on economic conditions. NYS Department of Labor tracks both types separately in their statistics.
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Carmen Reyes
The system is so confusing and they make it deliberately hard to understand! I've been fighting with NYS Department of Labor for months over a simple question about my benefit calculation. The website is terrible and the phone system hangs up on you constantly. Good luck getting a straight answer about anything.
Andre Moreau
•I feel your frustration! The NYS Department of Labor system can be really overwhelming, especially when you're already stressed about being unemployed. Have you tried reaching out through their online messaging system? Sometimes that works better than calling.
One thing to remember is that even if you qualify, there's usually a one week waiting period before you can start collecting benefits. And make sure you file your weekly claims every week even if your initial claim is still being processed or you'll lose those weeks.
Good point about the weekly claims! So I should file those even before I hear back about whether my initial application was approved?
Yes absolutely! You can't go back and claim weeks you missed filing for. The weekly certification is separate from your initial application approval.
Paolo Conti
The appeal process is intentionally slow to discourage people from challenging their decisions. It's ridiculous that they can cut off your income and then make you wait months to get it resolved. Meanwhile they're sitting on millions in unused funds.
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Amina Sow
•I understand the frustration but the appeals process exists to ensure fair hearings. The delays are usually due to high volume rather than intentional discouragement.
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GalaxyGazer
just keep filing your weekly claims even during the appeal!! if you win they'll pay you retroactively for all those weeks. dont stop certifying
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