How long does it take an unemployment claim to process with NYS Department of Labor?
I submitted my initial unemployment application through my.ny.gov about 10 days ago and haven't heard anything back yet. My claim status just says 'under review' and I'm starting to worry. I lost my job at a restaurant in Albany when they had to close one location permanently. This is my first time ever filing for unemployment so I have no idea what's normal. Should I be concerned that it's taking this long? I really need to know when I might see some money because rent is due next week and I'm getting stressed.
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Jacob Smithson
The standard processing time for NYS Department of Labor unemployment claims is typically 2-3 weeks from the date you file. Your claim goes through several stages - initial review, wage verification with your former employer, and eligibility determination. Since you mentioned losing your job due to a permanent closure, that should actually work in your favor as it's clearly not a voluntary quit or misconduct situation. Keep filing your weekly claims even while it's processing - you can't get paid for weeks you don't claim.
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Sophia Nguyen
•Thank you! I didn't realize I needed to keep filing weekly claims. I thought I had to wait until my initial claim was approved first.
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Isabella Brown
mine took almost 4 weeks back in march and that was just for a regular layoff situation... the system is still really backed up from all the changes they made post-covid
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Maya Patel
•4 weeks?! That's crazy. Did they ever explain why it took so long or did it just randomly get approved one day?
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Aiden Rodríguez
If you're really stressed about timeline and need to speak with someone at NYS Department of Labor, I had good luck with a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com). They help you get through to an actual agent instead of sitting on hold forever. There's a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI that shows how it works. I was able to get my claim status clarified within a day instead of waiting weeks wondering what was happening.
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Sophia Nguyen
•Is that legit? I've been trying to call the regular number but can never get through to a real person.
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Aiden Rodríguez
•Yeah it's real, they basically handle the phone queue part for you. Way better than hitting redial 50 times a day.
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Emma Garcia
The whole system is a joke honestly. They make you jump through hoops for weeks while you're struggling to pay bills. I've been waiting 3 weeks for my adjudication to finish and nobody can give me a straight answer about when it'll be done. Meanwhile they expect you to do job searches and report every week like you're not in financial crisis.
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Ava Kim
•I feel you on this. The stress of not knowing when money will come in makes everything worse.
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Ethan Anderson
Restaurant closures usually process faster than other claim types since there's no question about the reason for separation. Make sure you have your last pay stub and any closure notice from your employer ready in case they ask for documentation. Also double-check that your SSN and address are exactly right in your application - small errors can cause delays.
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