How do I find my unemployment number - can't locate my NYS Department of Labor claim ID anywhere

Your unemployment claim number should be in the confirmation email you received when you first submitted your application. Check your spam folder too - sometimes NYS Department of Labor emails end up there. You can also find it by logging into your my.ny.gov account and looking under 'Unemployment Services' - it should show your claim number at the top of the page.

If you can't find your claim number, you can still file your weekly claim using your SSN and PIN. Just go to the weekly claim filing page and use those instead. The system will recognize your claim automatically.

I had the same issue last month and it was so frustrating trying to get through to someone at NYS Department of Labor. Their phone lines are always busy and when you do get through they hang up on you half the time. I ended up using this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that helped me get connected to an actual agent who could look up my claim number. They have a video showing how it works at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI. Way easier than sitting on hold for hours.

sometimes the claim number takes a few days to show up in the system after you apply, especially if your claim is still being processed or if there's any adjudication happening

The whole NYS Department of Labor system is such a mess. They make it so confusing on purpose I swear. Why can't they just send a simple email with your claim number like every other system does? Instead we get these vague messages that don't tell us anything useful.

I had a similar issue when I first applied. Try calling the automated phone line at 1-888-209-8124 - you can actually get your claim number through the automated system without having to talk to anyone. You'll need your SSN and some info from your application. It's much faster than trying to reach a live person. Also, if your application is still being reviewed, the claim number might not be assigned yet, which could be why it's not showing up anywhere.

I went through this exact same thing a few months ago and it was so stressful! What ended up working for me was logging into my.ny.gov and clicking on "View Benefit Payment History" under the Unemployment Services section - even though I hadn't received any payments yet, my claim number was displayed at the top of that page. If that doesn't work, the automated phone line that Jean Claude mentioned is definitely your best bet. Don't stress too much - you can always file your weekly claim with just your SSN if needed, but having the claim number makes it easier for future reference.

I work at a local workforce development center and see this issue all the time. Here's what I usually tell people: First, check if your claim is still in "pending" status - if it is, the claim number might not be generated yet. Second, try logging out of my.ny.gov completely and logging back in, sometimes the system needs a refresh to display everything properly. If you're still stuck, you can also visit your local One-Stop Career Center - they can help you access your account and find your claim number in person. The staff there are really knowledgeable about navigating the NYS DOL system and can walk you through it step by step.

I went through this exact same frustration a few weeks ago! Here's what finally worked for me: First, try the automated phone line at 1-888-209-8124 that Jean Claude mentioned - it's way faster than waiting for a human agent. If that doesn't work, log into my.ny.gov and look under "View Benefit Payment History" like Aisha suggested - that's actually where mine showed up even though I hadn't received payments yet. Also, don't panic about filing your weekly claim - you can absolutely use just your SSN and PIN as Olivia mentioned. The system will find your claim automatically. I was stressing for nothing! The NYS DOL system is confusing but there are multiple ways to get around this issue.