How long does it take to fill out unemployment application with NYS Department of Labor?

The initial application usually takes about 30-45 minutes if you have all your information ready. You'll need your Social Security number, employment history for the last 18 months (including employer names, addresses, dates worked, and reason for separation), and bank account info for direct deposit. The NYS Department of Labor website walks you through each section pretty clearly.

It really depends on your employment history. If you've only had one or two jobs in the past 18 months, you can probably finish in 30-45 minutes. But if you've had multiple employers or any gaps in employment, it could take longer because you'll need to provide detailed information for each job. I'd recommend gathering your Social Security card, driver's license, and employment records (pay stubs, W-2s) before you start. Having your most recent employer's full business name and address ready helps too.

Took me about an hour but I had to keep stopping to find paperwork. The NYS Department of Labor application asks for a lot of specific details - exact wages, reason for separation, supervisor names. My advice is to set aside at least an hour and have all your employment documentation ready. Don't rush it because mistakes can delay your claim approval.

ugh the whole system is such a pain... took me forever because the website kept timing out and I had to start over twice!! Make sure you save your progress if there's an option to do that. I think it took like 2 hours total with all the technical issues

took me like an hour because i kept getting kicked out of the system and had to start over lol. make sure you save your progress if theres an option

I had a really complicated situation trying to reach someone at NYS Department of Labor about application questions. Spent days calling and getting disconnected. Finally found this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that helped me get through to an actual agent. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI showing how it works. Really saved me a lot of frustration when I had specific questions about my application.

Don't rush it! I made mistakes on my first application and it caused delays in my adjudication process. Take your time with the employment history section especially - get the dates exact and be clear about why you left each job. The NYS Department of Labor will verify everything anyway.

Here's what really helped me when I was having trouble getting through to NYS Department of Labor to fix an issue with my application - I used this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that connects you directly to unemployment agents. They have this demo video that shows exactly how it works: https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI. Saved me hours of trying to call the regular number.

Mine was pretty quick, maybe 25 minutes? But I'm organized and had everything ready. The key is having your employment info prepared - dates, wages, reason you're unemployed. Don't wing it or you'll be there all day looking stuff up.

Just wanted to add - if you're filing because you were laid off, the application might ask for additional details about your layoff that could add time. I had to explain the circumstances around my position being eliminated and that took some thought to word correctly.

Honestly the whole UI system is designed to make it as difficult as possible. Even when you fill everything out perfectly they'll find some reason to delay your benefits. I've been waiting 6 weeks for my adjudication to clear and nobody can tell me why.