Fastest way to speak to a real person when calling NY unemployment?
I keep trying to reach someone at the unemployment office but I'm getting nowhere fast. Been trying for 3 days now, calling at different times (early morning, lunch, afternoon) but I just get stuck in their automated system forever. I swear I remember reading somewhere that there's a specific number you need to press during the menu options that gets you to a human quicker. Has anyone figured out the secret combination to bypass all the robot menus? I need to talk to an actual person about my claim that's been pending for almost 4 weeks now. Any tips would be really appreciated!
34 comments
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Leeann Blackstein
Honestly don't think there's a magic number to press. I've tried pressing 1, then 3, then 9...tried different combos, nothing works. The system is designed to keep you trapped in automation hell 🤖
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Ryder Greene
•Yep, they specifically design it to be a nightmare. They don't want to talk to us.
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Liv Park
•damn thats discouraging. there has to be some way to get through tho
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Carmella Fromis
•I heard somewhere that if you don't press anything and just wait silently it eventually transfers you? Never worked for me tho
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Theodore Nelson
After spending literally WEEKS trying to get through to ny unemployment, I found this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that calls for you and connects you when a real person answers. Talking to an agent got my $ unlocked so fast! Check this video too: https://youtu.be/Rdqa1gKtxuE
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AaliyahAli
•yo this sounds too good to be true. does this actually work or just another scam?
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Theodore Nelson
•I was skeptical too but it worked for me! Got connected in about 45 mins when I had been trying for days on my own with no luck.
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Ellie Simpson
•sounds like one of those ads that pops up everywhere. anyone ACTUALLY try this besides the person posting?
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Arjun Kurti
•hmm I've been burned by so many of these 'services' before... what makes this different? 🤔
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Theodore Nelson
•It just saves you from waiting on hold. You go back to your day and they call when a human picks up. That's it. Worked for me but do whatever you want 🤷♀️
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Raúl Mora
I've heard pressing 2 for Spanish and then 0 works sometimes even if you don't speak Spanish. The Spanish queue is usually shorter. Just say "English please" when someone answers.
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Margot Quinn
THERE IS NO SECRET NUMBER!! Sorry to shout but I've worked in call centers. The "press this to skip the queue" thing is a myth. The best strategy is to call right when they open (7:30am) or right before lunch (11:30). Those are shift changes and more agents available.
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Evelyn Kim
•This is facts. I used to work at a call center too and there's no magic button. It's all about timing.
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Liv Park
•Thanks for the insight! Definitely gonna try the 7:30 am strategy tomorrow
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Diego Fisher
When you get to the voice prompt saying "Please state why you're calling today" just keep repeating "AGENT AGENT AGENT" - sometimes it will route you faster. Works for other places too.
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Henrietta Beasley
•LOL tried this and ended up just yelling AGENT at my phone for 5 minutes before hanging up in frustration 😂
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Lincoln Ramiro
OK so here's what actually works based on my experience (finally got through after 2 weeks of trying): Call the main ny unemployment number (888-209-8124) Press 1 for English Listen to their long annoying message Press 1 for claims questions Press 1 again to file a claim Press 2 for existing claim Then when it asks for your SSN, DON'T ENTER ANYTHING Wait through 3 prompts of it asking It will eventually say "we're transferring you to a representative" The wait is still long (I was on hold for 1hr 40min) but at least you get in the queue! Hope this helps someone. If that doesn't work honestly just use claimyr.com - it costs money but it saved my sanity after weeks of this nonsense.
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Faith Kingston
•This is GOLD 🏆 thank you for the detailed steps!
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Liv Park
•THANK YOU for taking the time to write this all out. gonna try this method first thing tomorrow morning.
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Emma Johnson
•I tried this method yesterday and it worked! Was on hold for 2 hours but finally got a person!
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Liam Brown
•not falling for another unemployment 'hack'... these never work. but I'm desperate so I'll try lol
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Olivia Garcia
another day, another person trying to crack the code of the ny unemployment phone system 😩 been there, friend. good luck!
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Noah Lee
Does anyone know if the callback feature actually works? I requested a callback last week and they never called me back...
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Ava Hernandez
•They say it works but in my experience its a joke. waited 3 days for a callback that never came
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Isabella Martin
•I got a callback but it was at like 7pm when I wasnt expecting it and missed it 🤬
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Elijah Jackson
•The official callback is a joke BUT the claimyr.com service actually does call you back when they get someone on the line. That's how I finally got through.
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Sophia Miller
Lmaooo when you find out let me know too. Been trying to reach someone for TWO MONTHS about missing payments.
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Mason Davis
If you're desperate and nothing else works, try reaching out to your state representative's office. I emailed mine and they got unemployment to call me within 48 hours. Not instant but it worked!
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Mia Rodriguez
•This. Local government reps can sometimes help cut through the bureaucracy. They have connections.
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Jacob Lewis
•who do i even contact? how do i find my rep??
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Mason Davis
•Just google "find my NY state assembly member" and put in your address. Their websites usually have contact forms.
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Amelia Martinez
What worked for me with ny unemployment was calling exactly at 8:00:00 am. Like, setting an alarm for 7:59 and dialing at exactly 8. Still waited 20 minutes but got through. Good luck!
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Ethan Clark
Try calling their alternate number: 888-783-1370. Sometimes less people use this one so shorter wait times.
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Mila Walker
•shhhhh don't tell everyone the secret number 🤫 jk but for real this one sometimes works better
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