How long to wait for unemployment benefits approval from NYS Department of Labor?

Two weeks is actually pretty normal for initial processing. NYS Department of Labor typically takes 2-4 weeks to review new claims, especially if there are any issues that need verification like your work history or reason for separation. Keep filing your weekly claims even while your initial claim is pending - this is important because you won't get paid for weeks you don't certify. Check your my.ny.gov account regularly for any messages or requests for additional information.

The standard processing time for initial unemployment claims with NYS Department of Labor is typically 2-3 weeks from submission to first payment. Since you filed 10 days ago, you're still within the normal timeframe. Make sure you're filing your weekly claims even while your initial application is pending - you won't get paid for weeks you don't certify. Check your my.ny.gov account daily for any correspondence or requests for additional information.

Mine took 3 weeks and then I got all my back pay at once. But my cousin waited like 6 weeks because they needed to verify her employment dates or something. Really depends on your situation I think.

ugh the wait is SO stressful!! i filed 3 weeks ago and just got approved yesterday. they had to verify my employment history which added extra time. dont panic yet but be prepared it might take longer than 2 weeks especially if they need to contact your employer

If you're getting anxious about the wait time, you can try calling NYS Department of Labor to check on your claim status. Fair warning though - the phone lines are usually swamped and it's really hard to get through. I had better luck using a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that helps you actually reach an agent. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI showing how it works. Saved me hours of trying to call myself.

If you're having trouble getting through to NYS Department of Labor to check your claim status, I used a service called Claimyr that helped me reach an actual agent. You can check it out at claimyr.com - they have a demo video at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI that shows how it works. I was stuck waiting for 4 weeks without any updates and finally got answers about why my claim was delayed. Sometimes there are issues that don't show up in your online account that only an agent can explain.

The waiting is the worst part honestly. I remember thinking something was wrong when it took 3 weeks but turned out everything was fine, just slow processing. Make sure you're doing your job search activities too even while waiting - they might ask for that info later.

Ten days is nothing! The whole system is a nightmare designed to wear you down until you give up. I waited 6 weeks for my first payment and that was considered 'normal' by their standards. Meanwhile bills don't stop coming and landlords don't care about your pending claim status. The NYS Department of Labor customer service is basically non-existent - good luck getting anyone on the phone who can actually help.

UGH the NYS Department of Labor system is SO SLOW. It's like they want us to suffer while we're already stressed about being unemployed. Two weeks should not be normal for something this important!

Same boat here, filed 2 weeks ago and still waiting. At least we're not alone in this! Keep filing those weekly claims no matter what.

I'm in a similar situation - filed my claim about 10 days ago and still showing as pending. It's nerve-wracking when you're already stressed about being unemployed! From what I'm reading here, it sounds like 2-3 weeks is pretty typical for NYS Department of Labor to process initial claims. I've been doing my weekly certifications even though my claim is still pending, which seems like the right move based on everyone's advice. Trying to stay patient but it's tough when you need answers about your financial situation!

I'm about a week and a half into waiting myself after filing my initial claim. Reading through all these responses is actually pretty reassuring - sounds like 2-4 weeks is the normal range even though it feels like forever when you're waiting! I've been checking my.ny.gov obsessively but trying to remind myself that no news isn't necessarily bad news. Definitely going to keep up with my weekly certifications as everyone recommends. It's frustrating that the system doesn't give you more visibility into what's happening behind the scenes, but at least we're all in this together!