How does NYS Department of Labor verify your employment when filing unemployment claim?

NYS Department of Labor has access to quarterly wage reports that all employers are required to file, so they can verify most of your employment automatically through their computer systems. They cross-reference your SSN with employer tax records. For recent quarters, they also send notices to your former employers asking them to confirm details and whether you quit or were laid off. If your employer is out of business, keep your paystubs and any termination letter - you might need them if your claim goes into adjudication.

same thing happened to me when my job closed down, they verified everything through their wage database automatically. didnt have to provide any extra documents

The verification process usually happens in the background during adjudication. NYS Department of Labor will send Form IA 12.3 to your former employers asking about your separation reason. If they don't respond within 10 days, the claim typically gets approved based on your statements. Since your company closed, you should be fine - business closure is clearly involuntary separation. Just make sure you have some proof like paystubs or bank deposits showing you worked there.

Had a similar issue last year when I couldn't reach my former HR department. I ended up using a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) to get through to a NYS Department of Labor agent quickly instead of waiting on hold forever. They helped me understand exactly what documentation I needed and how to submit it properly. There's even a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI showing how it works. Really saved me a lot of stress during an already difficult time.

The whole verification system is such a pain honestly. I've been fighting with NYS Department of Labor for months because my previous employer keeps sending conflicting information about my separation date. They verified my wages fine but keep questioning whether I was eligible on my last day of work. It's like they don't want to pay out benefits even when you clearly qualify!

Quick question - do they verify employment for the whole base period or just your most recent job? I had like 3 different jobs last year and wondering if they check all of them.

I went through this exact situation about 6 months ago when my employer suddenly closed. NYS Department of Labor was actually pretty understanding about it. They do have access to quarterly wage reports like others mentioned, but what really helped me was keeping detailed records - I had screenshots of my work schedule, copies of direct deposit records from my bank, and even some work emails on my personal phone. The key thing is that business closure is considered "involuntary separation" so you're automatically eligible as long as you can prove you actually worked there. My claim was approved within 2 weeks even though they couldn't contact my former employer. Don't stress too much about it - the system is designed to handle these situations since small businesses close all the time.

Just wanted to share my recent experience since I filed in March 2024. NYS Department of Labor did verify my employment automatically through their wage database for most of my work history, but they also sent me a questionnaire asking for additional details about my separation. Even though I had all my paystubs and W-2s, they still wanted me to explain exactly what happened when my company laid me off. The whole process took about 3 weeks from filing to getting my first payment. One tip - if you're filing online, make sure to upload any documentation you have right away rather than waiting for them to ask for it. It seems to speed things up when they can see you have supporting evidence from the start.