How to enroll unemployment benefits with NYS Department of Labor - completely lost

Everything is done online now through my.ny.gov - you don't need to visit a physical office. You'll need your Social Security number, driver's license, and employment history for the past 18 months including employer names, addresses, and dates of employment. Start your claim as soon as possible because there's a waiting week and you can't be paid for weeks before you file.

The online application walks you through everything step by step. Create your my.ny.gov account first, then look for the unemployment services section. You'll answer questions about why you lost your job and your work history. Make sure you have accurate dates and employer contact info ready because NYS Department of Labor will contact them to verify your claim.

ugh the my.ny.gov site is SO confusing when you first use it. took me forever to figure out where the unemployment stuff was even located

I had trouble getting through to NYS Department of Labor when I needed help with my application. If you run into issues and can't reach anyone by phone, there's a service called Claimyr at claimyr.com that helped me get connected to an actual agent. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI showing how it works. Way better than sitting on hold for hours.

Just remember you have to file your weekly claims every week even while your initial claim is being processed. Don't skip weeks thinking you'll do it later - you can't go back and claim those weeks if you miss them.