How long does NYC unemployment take to process - been waiting 6 weeks

Unfortunately, 6 weeks isn't unusual right now. NYC processes a huge volume of claims and they're still dealing with backlogs. The standard timeframe is supposed to be 2-3 weeks, but that's only if there are no issues with your claim. Check your my.ny.gov account to see if there are any pending issues or if your claim is in adjudication. Sometimes they need additional verification documents that you might not have noticed.

good luck calling lol. ive been trying for 3 weeks and either get disconnected or sit on hold for hours. the system is completely broken

I had a similar issue last year and it turned out to be a problem with my previous employer not responding to NYS Department of Labor's verification request. You might want to contact your former employer to make sure they're cooperating with the process. Sometimes claims get stuck because employers don't respond to separation verification requests within the required timeframe.

I was in a similar situation last month - couldn't get through on the phone at all. Someone here recommended using Claimyr to help get through to an actual NYS Department of Labor agent. I was skeptical but tried it out and actually got connected within a few hours. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI that shows how it works. Check out claimyr.com if you're desperate to talk to someone. It helped me figure out that my claim was stuck because of a wage verification issue.

The ENTIRE system is a joke!! I've been waiting 8 weeks for my claim and every time I call they tell me something different. First it was 'under review' then 'pending verification' and now they can't even tell me what's wrong. Meanwhile bills are piling up and I can't get a straight answer from ANYONE at NYS Department of Labor.

same here, filed in december and still nothing

I'm dealing with the exact same situation - filed in mid-January and still stuck on "pending" status. The lack of communication is the worst part. I've been checking my ny.gov account daily but there's literally no information about what's causing the delay or when it might be resolved. It's incredibly stressful when you're counting on these benefits to pay basic expenses. Has anyone had success with contacting their local representatives? I'm considering reaching out to my assembly member's office like someone suggested above, but not sure if that actually helps or just adds more bureaucracy to the process.

I'm in a very similar boat - filed my claim in late January and it's been stuck on "pending" for over a month now. The uncertainty is killing me because I have no idea if there's an actual issue or if it's just processing delays. I've been afraid to call because of all the horror stories about wait times, but after reading these responses I think I need to try multiple approaches. @Aisha Rahman, do you remember which assembly member's office you contacted? I'm in Brooklyn and not sure if I should reach out to my local rep or if there's a specific office that handles unemployment issues better. Also considering trying that Claimyr service that @Zainab Omar mentioned since traditional calling seems impossible. At this point I'm willing to try anything - the stress of not knowing when (or if) benefits will come through is almost worse than not having them.

I'm going through the exact same nightmare right now - filed in early February and still showing "pending" with absolutely zero explanation. What's really frustrating is that I keep seeing conflicting information about processing times. The official NYS DOL website says 2-3 weeks, but clearly that's not realistic given how many people are waiting months. I've been hesitant to try calling because everyone says it's pointless, but reading about the assembly member route gives me some hope. Has anyone tried filing a complaint with the state's ombudsman office? I saw that mentioned on another forum but wasn't sure if it's worth pursuing. At this point I'm running out of savings and desperately need some kind of timeline or at least acknowledgment that my claim exists in their system.

I'm experiencing the exact same delays and it's absolutely maddening. Filed my claim in late January and still stuck on "pending" with zero communication from NYS DOL. What's really concerning me is that I keep hearing different stories - some people wait 6-8 weeks, others are going on 3+ months with no resolution. The complete lack of transparency is what makes this so stressful. You can't plan or budget when you have no idea if your claim will be processed next week or next month. I've been avoiding the phone route because of the horror stories, but after reading these responses I think I need to try the assembly member approach that several people mentioned. It seems like the only way to get actual human intervention in these stuck cases. @Aisha Rahman and @Dylan Cooper, thanks for sharing the success stories - gives me hope that there might be a way forward. This system clearly wasn't designed to handle the volume they're dealing with, but leaving people in limbo for months without any updates is just cruel.

I'm in the exact same situation and it's incredibly frustrating! Filed my claim in mid-January and have been stuck on "pending" status for over 6 weeks now. What really gets me is that there's absolutely no way to get a status update or even basic information about what's causing the delay. I've been religiously doing my weekly certifications but it feels pointless when nothing is moving forward. Reading through these responses, it sounds like the assembly member route might be the most promising option since multiple people have had success with that approach. I'm definitely going to try contacting my local representative's office this week. The uncertainty is honestly the worst part - I can handle waiting if I know there's a timeline, but being completely in the dark while bills pile up is causing so much stress. Has anyone had any luck with the online chat feature, or is that just as useless as the phone system?