Been waiting over a month for NY unemployment approval and can't reach anyone by phone - help!

Welcome to the absolute nightmare that is NY unemployment. I was in the same situation back in April - took me SIX WEEKS to get approved. The phone system is deliberately designed to make you give up. My advice - keep calling constantly. Like literally 20-30 times a day. Eventually you might get through but probably not. I finally got desperate and started emailing everyone - my state rep, the governor's office, even the labor commissioner. The state rep's office actually helped move things along.

After banging my head against the wall for weeks trying to reach someone at NY unemployment, I finally found a service that actually worked. Used this site called claimyr.com and they got me a callback from a real unemployment agent within a few hours. Talking to an agent got my benefits unlocked so fast - they cleared up my issue in one call. It was the only way I could talk to a live agent after trying for weeks. Check out their explainer video here: https://youtu.be/Rdqa1gKtxuE

Try calling right when they open at 8:00 AM. Sometimes if you call at like 7:58 and get into the queue early you can actually get through. Also try the fraud department - they usually answer and sometimes can transfer you to claims. Good luck, the system is totally broken 🤡

Ugh im SO SICK of them saying "call volumes are higher than normal" ITS BEEN LIKE THIS FOR YEARS!!!! normal call volume is HIGH!! just staff appropriately!!!! 🤬

Here's what worked for me - call the TTY/TDD number on their website. I'm not hearing impaired but they actually answer that line and can sometimes transfer you. Also try hitting 0 repeatedly during the automated msgs, sometimes that breaks you out of the loop. And if all else fails, contact your state assembly person - they have special contacts at unemployment who can help.

I had to wait 7 weeks for approval and never once got through on the phone. I actually ended up contacting my state senator's office. They have a dedicated unemployment liaison who escalated my case. Got approved 3 days later. Find your local rep and email their office - it's literally their job to help with this stuff.

Listen up. I work in IT (not for unemployment) but I can tell you their phone system is literally designed to bounce people. Here's what works - call this number instead: [phone number]. It's the employer services line but they can transfer you to claims. Also, try the online message center instead of calling - sometimes they actually respond.

After trying everything under the sun (calling 50+ times, emailing, contacting representatives), I broke down and used claimyr.com - got connected to someone within a couple hours. Don't usually pay for services like this but talking to an agent got my $ unlocked so fast it was completely worth it.

The whole system is FUQ'D. I been on pending for 11 weeks now!! ELEVEN!!! I think they hope we all just die before they have to pay us lol. No advice just sharing your pain bro 💯

Honestly the best advice I can give is DOCUMENT EVERYTHING. Every time you call, take screenshots of the online status, keep a log of all attempts to contact them. People don't realize NY unemployment has time limits to process claims - if they're violating those, having documentation helps. Also, and I know this sucks, but contact your local TV station's "action news" or "investigative" team. They LOVE unemployment stories and sometimes just a call from a reporter gets things fixed.

Here's what finally worked for me after MONTHS of trying: 1) Email your assemblyperson AND state senator 2) Call the fraud dept and say you think someone might have filed in your name (they always answer) 3) When that fails, use claimyr.com - its basically a robot that calls them repeatedly until it gets through, then connects you. Worth every penny because I got my backpay of $5800 after one call with an agent.

Not to sound like a conspiracy theorist but... has anyone else noticed that their claim suddenly gets approved right when your benefits are about to expire anyway? They drag it out as long as possible, then approve you when you're entitled to less money. Peak government efficiency 🤡

y'all keeping trying tge phone but tbh the best way is thru Twitter. Tweet @NYSLabor with your issue (don't include personal info) and they'll DM you. Got my issue fixed in 2 days after weeks of phone hell

Look I'm gonna come out and say it - this is all BY DESIGN. They make it impossible to reach them so people give up and don't collect benefits they're entitled to. It saves the state money. Happened during COVID and it's still happening. The whole system is rigged against workers.

This is a COMPREHENSIVE guide to getting through to NY unemployment based on my 3 months of hell dealing with them: First, understand that their phone system is deliberately designed to frustrate you. They have limited agents and unlimited callers. Here's what works: 1. Call patterns matter. Try calling Tuesday-Thursday (avoid Monday/Friday). Best times are 8:00-8:30am or 4:30-5:00pm. 2. If regular calls fail, try the TTY line, employer services, or even the fraud department - they can sometimes transfer you. 3. Use the online message center - responses take 5-7 days but they do eventually respond. 4. Contact your state representatives - both Assembly and Senate. They have special contacts at unemployment. 5. If all else fails, use a service like claimyr.com - they'll keep calling for you and connect you to an agent when they get through. This is what finally worked for me after weeks of trying everything else. 6. Keep certifying weekly no matter what! Even if your claim is pending, you need to certify to get those weeks paid retroactively once approved. Hang in there - the system is broken but eventually it does work if you're persistent. I went 11 weeks without income before finally getting it all resolved and receiving backpay.

check ur inbox messages. sent u some info that helped me