How do I find my employer registration number for unemployment claim with NYS Department of Labor?

The employer registration number is usually on your separation paperwork if you got any when you were laid off or fired. Check any documents your employer gave you when your employment ended. If you don't have that, you can also find it by calling your former employer's HR department directly - they'll have it on file with NYS Department of Labor.

sometimes its on your paystub under a different name like 'UI account number' or something similar. also check if you have any unemployment insurance notices that your employer might have sent in the past

You can actually file your claim without the employer registration number initially. The NYS Department of Labor will match your employer information using their database. Just make sure you have the correct legal business name and address. If there are any issues, they'll contact you during the adjudication process to get additional details. I had the same problem and filed without it - my claim went through fine.

If you're having trouble reaching your employer, I found this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that helped me get through to an actual NYS Department of Labor agent when I had similar issues with my claim. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI that shows exactly how it works. The agent I spoke with was able to look up my employer's registration number and complete my claim over the phone. Way easier than trying to hunt down paperwork or unresponsive HR departments.

UGH this is SO frustrating!! Why do they make this process so complicated? I had the same issue and spent HOURS trying to figure this out. The unemployment system is already stressful enough without having to track down random numbers that nobody tells you about ahead of time.

Same thing happened to me last month. Turns out my employer registration number was on an old notice I got about unemployment insurance contributions that came with my tax documents. Maybe check any employment-related paperwork you saved from throughout the year?

I went through this exact same thing a few months ago! It's so confusing because they don't explain what this number is anywhere. I ended up finding mine on an old quarterly wage statement that my employer had sent me earlier in the year - it was listed as "SUI Account Number" (State Unemployment Insurance). If you got any quarterly statements or tax documents from your employer during the year, definitely check those. Also, some employers include it on their letterhead or in the footer of official documents. If all else fails, you might be able to get it from your state's business registry website by searching your employer's name, since they have to register to pay unemployment taxes.

Another place to check is your employee handbook or any new hire paperwork you might have saved. Some employers include their unemployment insurance account number in the benefits section or tax information pages. Also, if you have access to any employee portal or HR system online, they sometimes list this information in your employment details or tax documents section. I know it's a pain to dig through all this stuff when you're already dealing with unemployment stress, but it's worth checking these sources before having to deal with unresponsive HR departments.

I had this same issue recently and it was so confusing! What ended up working for me was checking my 2024 Form W-2 more carefully - on Box 15 (State/Employer's state ID no.), my employer's unemployment account number was actually listed there. It might be abbreviated or formatted differently than you expect. Also, if you filed taxes this year, sometimes tax prep software saves additional employer documents that might have this info. Worth double-checking before you have to deal with calling anyone!

I'm dealing with this exact same problem right now! It's so stressful when you're already worried about unemployment and then the system throws these random requirements at you. I've been looking through all my paperwork and can't find anything that clearly says "employer registration number." Reading through everyone's suggestions here is really helpful though - I never would have thought to check Box 15 on my W-2 or look for quarterly wage statements. It seems like there are so many different places this number could be hiding. Has anyone tried just calling the NYS Department of Labor directly to ask them to look it up? I'm wondering if that might be faster than hunting through all these documents, especially if some of us didn't get proper separation paperwork when we were let go.

I just went through this nightmare last week! After reading all these suggestions, I want to add one more thing that saved me - check any direct deposit authorization forms or payroll setup paperwork you might have from when you started the job. My employer's registration number was actually printed at the bottom of the direct deposit form I filled out during onboarding. It was in tiny print and labeled as "State UI Account #" but it was definitely the number the unemployment system needed. Also, if you use any payroll apps like ADP or Paychex to view your paystubs, sometimes the employer registration info is buried in the account details or company information section of those apps. I know it feels impossible to find but there really are so many random places employers stick this information!

I went through this same frustrating situation about 6 months ago! After trying everything else mentioned here, what finally worked for me was checking my old email for any automated HR messages throughout the year. My employer had sent out a quarterly payroll summary email that I had completely forgotten about, and buried in that email was their "NYS UI Account Number" - which was exactly what the unemployment system was looking for. Try searching your email for terms like "payroll," "quarterly," "tax summary," or "wage statement" from your employer. Sometimes HR departments send these routine updates that we just ignore, but they often contain this exact information. Also, if you have a 401k or benefits portal login, those systems sometimes display employer tax ID information in the company details section. It's worth checking every digital trail you have with your employer before giving up!

I just want to thank everyone who posted suggestions here! I was in the exact same boat as the original poster - completely lost about where to find this mysterious employer registration number. After reading through all these comments, I found mine on my W-2 in Box 15 just like Paolo suggested. It was listed as "SUI#" followed by the number, which I had completely overlooked before. For anyone else struggling with this, definitely start with your W-2 Box 15 since that seems to be the most reliable place to find it. If it's not there, the suggestions about checking quarterly wage statements, employee handbooks, and even old HR emails are all really valuable. It's frustrating that the unemployment system doesn't explain what this number is or where to find it, but at least there are lots of different places to look!

I'm dealing with this same issue right now and feeling so overwhelmed! Reading through everyone's experiences here is really reassuring though - it sounds like this number is way harder to find than it should be. I'm going to start with checking Box 15 on my W-2 since that seems to work for a lot of people, then work through all the other suggestions if I need to. It's honestly ridiculous that they don't explain what this number is or provide a clear list of where to find it. The unemployment process is stressful enough without having to become a detective to hunt down random employer codes! Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences - this thread is going to save me so much time and frustration.

Just wanted to add another potential source that worked for me - if you have any old pay stubs from throughout the year (not just your final one), sometimes the employer registration number shows up in the fine print at the bottom or in a "company info" section. Mine was actually on a pay stub from about 6 months ago labeled as "ER UI Acct" which I never paid attention to before. It wasn't on my most recent pay stub for some reason, but it was on several older ones. Also, if your company uses a third-party payroll service like Paychex or ADP, you might be able to log into their portal and find it in the employer/company details section. I know everyone's already given tons of great suggestions, but I figured I'd throw in one more place to check since this number seems to hide in the most random spots!

I'm going through this exact same situation right now and this thread has been incredibly helpful! I've been searching everywhere for this mysterious number and getting nowhere. Based on all the suggestions here, I'm going to start with my W-2 Box 15 and then work through checking old paystubs, quarterly statements, and even my email for any HR messages I might have missed. It's really frustrating that the NYS DOL system doesn't clearly explain what this number is or provide guidance on where to find it - especially when you're already stressed about being unemployed. The fact that it can be labeled as "SUI#", "State UI Account #", "NYS UI Account Number", "ER UI Acct" or who knows what other abbreviations makes it even harder to track down. Thank you everyone for sharing your experiences and tips - this community support makes navigating this confusing process so much easier!

I'm dealing with this exact same frustrating situation! After reading through all these amazing suggestions, I wanted to add one more potential source that helped me - if you have any benefit enrollment paperwork or insurance documents from your employer, sometimes the registration number appears there too. I found mine on my health insurance enrollment form from earlier this year listed as "Employer Tax ID/UI#" in tiny print at the bottom. It's worth checking any benefits-related paperwork you might have saved, including 401k enrollment forms or HSA documents. Also, if your company sent out any COVID-related communications about payroll protection or unemployment insurance changes in 2020-2022, those emails sometimes contained this information. I know it's incredibly frustrating that they don't just tell us upfront what this number is or where to find it - the unemployment process is already stressful enough without having to become a forensic accountant just to file a claim!

I'm currently going through this same exact problem and this thread has been absolutely invaluable! I've been pulling my hair out trying to figure out what this "employer registration number" even is, let alone where to find it. Reading everyone's experiences here has given me so much hope and so many different avenues to explore. I'm going to start with checking Box 15 on my W-2 since that seems to be the most successful method, then work through old paystubs, quarterly statements, and even dig through my email for any forgotten HR messages. It's honestly incredible how many different names this number can have - "SUI#", "State UI Account #", "ER UI Acct", "Employer Tax ID/UI#" - no wonder we're all struggling to find it! The fact that the NYS DOL system doesn't explain any of this upfront is just adding unnecessary stress to an already difficult situation. Thank you to everyone who shared their detective work and solutions - this community support is making what felt like an impossible task actually seem manageable!