How long does NYS Department of Labor unemployment take to process - still waiting after 2 weeks
Filed my unemployment claim with NYS Department of Labor two weeks ago and still haven't heard anything back. My claim status just says 'under review' on the my.ny.gov portal. I lost my job at a restaurant when they downsized and thought this would be pretty straightforward. How long does unemployment usually take to process? I'm starting to get worried because rent is due next week and I have no idea when I'll see any money.
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Rachel Clark
The initial processing time for NYS Department of Labor claims varies but typically takes 2-4 weeks for straightforward cases. Since you mentioned restaurant work, they might be verifying your employment history with your former employer. Make sure you've submitted all required documentation and keep filing your weekly claims even while waiting for approval.
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Chris King
•I did submit everything they asked for but haven't been filing weekly claims yet - should I start doing that now even though my claim isn't approved?
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Zachary Hughes
YES definitely start filing your weekly claims right away! Even if your initial claim is still processing, you need to file every week or you'll lose those weeks forever. I made that mistake and lost 3 weeks of benefits.
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Chris King
•Oh no! I'll log in and file for the past two weeks right now. Thanks for the warning!
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Mia Alvarez
Two weeks is actually pretty normal for NYS Department of Labor processing times. Mine took almost a month last year because they had to do employment verification. The system is just slow, especially if there's any kind of adjudication needed. Try calling if you're really worried but the wait times are brutal.
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Carter Holmes
•Calling NYS Department of Labor is impossible these days! I tried for weeks and either got disconnected or sat on hold for hours. Someone told me about this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that helps you get through to agents faster. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI showing how it works. Might be worth checking out if you need to talk to someone urgently.
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Sophia Long
honestly the whole system is broken... took me 6 weeks to get my first payment and that was for a simple layoff. just keep filing weekly and eventually something will happen but dont hold your breath
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Angelica Smith
•While the system can be slow, 6 weeks is unusually long. Most claims without complications process within 3-4 weeks. If there are delays beyond that, it's usually due to missing documentation or the need for additional verification.
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Logan Greenburg
I'm in the same boat! Filed 10 days ago and nothing yet. This is so stressful when you have bills to pay. Did your employer contest the claim or anything like that? Sometimes that can slow things down.
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