How is unemployment right now with NYS Department of Labor - worth filing?
Thinking about filing for unemployment benefits but not sure if it's worth it with how things are right now. I got laid off last week from my warehouse job and my friend said the NYS Department of Labor system is still really backed up and slow. Is anyone having success getting through the process lately? How long is it taking to get approved and start receiving payments? Also wondering if the job search requirements are strict right now or if they're being more flexible. Any recent experiences would help me decide if I should file or just focus on finding work.
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Hassan Khoury
You should definitely file right away! Even if there are delays, you can't get back pay for weeks you didn't claim. The NYS Department of Labor processes most straightforward claims within 2-3 weeks now, much better than during the pandemic. Job search requirements are back to normal - 3 work search activities per week. The key is filing your weekly claims on time every week even if your initial claim is still processing.
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Alice Fleming
•Thanks! Do I need to have those 3 job search activities ready before I file or can I start doing them after my claim gets approved?
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Victoria Stark
Filed mine 3 weeks ago and still waiting for approval. It's been stuck in adjudication the whole time with no explanation. The system definitely isn't as fast as people say. But yeah you should still file because if you wait you're just losing potential money.
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Benjamin Kim
•Same here, adjudication for 4 weeks now. I've been calling every day but can never get through to an actual person at NYS Department of Labor.
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Samantha Howard
•If you're having trouble getting through to NYS Department of Labor by phone, I used a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me connected to an agent in like 20 minutes. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI that shows how it works. Really helped me get my adjudication issue resolved when I couldn't reach anyone the regular way.
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Megan D'Acosta
THE WHOLE SYSTEM IS A MESS RIGHT NOW! I've been waiting 6 weeks for my overpayment issue to get resolved and nobody at NYS Department of Labor can give me a straight answer. They keep saying different things every time I call. Don't expect anything to be quick or easy.
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Sarah Ali
•sorry you're going through that, overpayment stuff is always complicated
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Hassan Khoury
Just to clarify on the job search requirements - you need to start doing work search activities the week after you file your claim. Keep detailed records because they do audit these. You can use the state job board, indeed, company websites, networking events, etc. Each activity needs to be documented with date, employer/contact, and type of activity.
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Alice Fleming
•Got it, so I should file this week and then start the job search activities next week when I do my first weekly claim?
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Hassan Khoury
•Exactly right! And make sure you're actually available for work and actively seeking employment during every week you claim benefits.
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Ryan Vasquez
honestly just file it, worst case scenario you get denied and you're in the same position as now. but if you get approved thats money in your pocket while you job hunt. the online system works fine most of the time, just slow sometimes
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