How to get help with unemployment claim issues - NYS Department of Labor contact struggles

The phone situation with NYS Department of Labor is absolutely terrible right now. Best times to call are right when they open at 8am or around 12:30pm right after lunch. You need to keep calling the main number and when you get through, immediately press 0 to try to reach a representative. For your construction layoff issue, you'll need to provide documentation that it was an involuntary separation - things like your layoff notice, final paycheck stub, or a letter from your employer stating the project ended.

You can also try reaching out to your local career center - they sometimes have direct contacts at NYS Department of Labor who can help escalate issues. Also make sure you're documenting everything - save screenshots of your claim status, keep records of when you called, etc. If this drags on you might need to file an appeal.

I had the exact same issue with getting hung up on constantly when trying to reach NYS Department of Labor. After weeks of frustration, I found this service called Claimyr that actually got me through to an agent within a day. You can check it out at claimyr.com - they have a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI that shows how it works. Basically they handle the calling and waiting for you, then connect you when they get a real person on the line. It was honestly a lifesaver because I was spending hours every day trying to get through on my own.

The whole NYS Department of Labor system is a joke honestly. They make it impossible to reach anyone on purpose so people just give up on their claims. I've been fighting with them for 6 months over an overpayment notice that makes no sense.

For the construction layoff specifically, you need to make sure your employer reported the separation correctly to NYS Department of Labor. Sometimes contractors mess up the paperwork and it shows as a quit instead of a layoff. You can request a copy of your separation information through the my.ny.gov portal under 'View and Maintain Account Information' to see exactly what they have on file.

Have you tried contacting your state representative's office? I know it sounds like overkill, but their constituent services teams often have direct lines to state agencies like NYS Department of Labor and can help cut through the bureaucracy. I had a friend who was stuck in unemployment limbo for months and their assemblyperson's office got it resolved in less than a week. You can find your representative at nyassembly.gov by entering your zip code. Also, if you have any union connections from your construction work, they sometimes have contacts who can help navigate these issues too.

I'm going through something similar right now and it's incredibly frustrating. One thing that helped me was using the "Contact Us" form on the my.ny.gov website and selecting "Technical Issues" as the category - even though it's not really technical, I got a response faster than when I selected "General Inquiry." Also, try calling the Trade Adjustment Assistance line at 1-888-469-7365 - they sometimes can transfer you to the right department or at least give you better guidance on documentation needed for construction layoffs. Keep detailed records of every attempt to contact them with dates and times - this will help if you need to escalate later. Don't give up, the system is broken but there are people who do want to help once you can reach them.