How long does it take for NYS Department of Labor unemployment to process the claim?
Filed my unemployment claim with NYS Department of Labor about 10 days ago and still haven't heard anything back. My account just shows 'claim pending' with no other details. I'm starting to get worried because I need to know if I'm approved so I can start filing my weekly claims. Does anyone know how long the processing usually takes? I lost my job at a restaurant downtown and thought this would be faster.
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Brooklyn Knight
Processing times can vary quite a bit depending on your situation. For straightforward claims, NYS Department of Labor usually processes them within 2-3 weeks. However, if there are any issues that need verification - like employment dates, reason for separation, or wage records - it can take longer and go into adjudication.
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PrinceJoe
•What kind of issues would cause delays? I reported everything accurately on my application.
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Owen Devar
mine took exactly 18 days last year when i got laid off from retail. no issues just took forever to get through their system
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Daniel Rivera
If your claim goes into adjudication, that's when it really slows down. I've seen people wait 4-6 weeks for adjudication to resolve. The key is to respond immediately to any requests for information from NYS Department of Labor and keep checking your online account daily for updates.
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Sophie Footman
•This is so frustrating! I've been trying to call them for a week to check on my claim status but can never get through. The phone system just hangs up on me after being on hold for an hour.
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Connor Rupert
•I had the same problem with calling NYS Department of Labor. Ended up using this service called Claimyr that actually got me through to an agent in like 20 minutes. They have a website at claimyr.com and there's a demo video at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI showing how it works. Definitely helped me get my adjudication issue resolved faster than waiting on hold forever.
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Molly Hansen
The whole system is backed up constantly. I know people who waited 2 months just to get their first payment. NYS Department of Labor needs to hire more staff to handle the volume of claims properly.
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PrinceJoe
•Two months?! I can't wait that long to pay my rent. Is there anything I can do to speed this up?
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Brooklyn Knight
To answer your earlier question about what causes delays - common issues include: discrepancies in your work history, if your former employer contests the claim, missing wage information, or if you worked in multiple states recently. Restaurant workers sometimes have complications with tip reporting or if there were any cash payments not properly documented.
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Brady Clean
just keep filing ur weekly claims even if ur initial claim isnt approved yet thats what they told me to do
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Morgan Washington
Hey PrinceJoe, I went through this exact same situation about 6 months ago when I lost my job at a hotel in Manhattan. 10 days is still within the normal range, though I totally understand the anxiety. My claim took about 16 days to get approved. The key thing is to make sure you're logging into your NY.gov account every day to check for any messages or requests for additional documentation. Sometimes they'll ask for proof of employment or other documents and if you miss that notification, it can add weeks to your processing time. Also, definitely start filing your weekly claims now even though your initial claim is still pending - that's what the system expects you to do.
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