How long does it take for NYS Department of Labor unemployment claim to be approved?

The standard processing time for a regular unemployment claim is typically 2-3 weeks from when you file. If your claim requires adjudication (which means they need to investigate something like your separation reason), it can take 4-6 weeks. Since you mentioned being laid off due to downsizing, that's usually straightforward and shouldn't require adjudication unless there are other factors.

mine took 3 weeks exactly and that was without any issues. just had to wait for them to verify my employment history i guess

Processing times vary but typically take 2-4 weeks for initial approval if there are no complications. Since you filed 10 days ago, you're still within the normal window. Keep checking your my.ny.gov account for updates and make sure you're filing your weekly claims even while your initial claim is pending - that's important for when it does get approved.

If you're approaching the 3 week mark and still haven't heard anything, you might want to try calling the NYS Department of Labor to check on your claim status. The phone lines are notoriously busy though - I've had success using a service called Claimyr that helps you get through to an actual agent. Check out claimyr.com, they have a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI that shows how it works. Saved me hours of trying to get through on my own.

mine took exactly 3 weeks and 2 days last month, no issues just the regular processing time. restaurant industry seems to go through faster than some others in my experience

Don't panic yet! The system has been slower lately with high volume. As long as you're filing your weekly claims on time (even while pending), you'll get backpay for all eligible weeks once approved. Make sure you're keeping up with your job search requirements too - 3 work search activities per week.

The NYS Department of Labor is SO SLOW with everything. I've been waiting 5 weeks for mine and they keep telling me it's still 'under review' with no explanation. Meanwhile bills are piling up and I can't get a straight answer from anyone.

Same boat here, filed 2 weeks ago and nothing yet. At least we're all in this together I guess

If you're having trouble getting through to check on your claim status, I had good luck using Claimyr (claimyr.com) to actually reach a NYS Department of Labor agent. They have this system that gets you connected without sitting on hold forever. There's a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI that shows how it works. Really helped me get answers when my claim was taking longer than expected.

The whole system is just broken tbh. They say 2-4 weeks but I've seen people wait 6-8 weeks especially if there's ANY little thing they need to verify. And god forbid you make a mistake on your application because then you're looking at adjudication which can take MONTHS.

Just keep filing those weekly claims like the previous person said - that's super important. Also make sure you're doing your job search activities because they'll ask for that log eventually. The waiting is the worst part but it usually works out.