How to get unemployment insurance number from NYS Department of Labor - can't find it anywhere

Your unemployment insurance number should be in your initial determination letter from NYS Department of Labor. Check your documents section in your my.ny.gov account under 'Correspondence.' It's usually a 9-digit number that starts with your Social Security number. If you can't find it there, it might also be on your weekly claim confirmation emails.

The unemployment insurance number is typically your SSN for most NYS Department of Labor purposes. However, if you need a specific claim number, log into your account and look at the top of your weekly claim page - there should be a claim ID number there. Some employers specifically want the claim number rather than just your SSN.

ugh I had this EXACT same problem!! spent like 2 hours looking everywhere for some special number that doesn't exist. turns out the employer just wanted my SSN but they called it unemployment insurance number which is super confusing. NYS Department of Labor really needs to be clearer about this stuff

If you're having trouble reaching NYS Department of Labor directly to clarify this, I recently discovered claimyr.com which helps you get through to actual agents without waiting on hold forever. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI that shows how it works. Really helpful when you need to talk to someone about specific account questions like this.

Just wanted to add that if this is for a new job, make sure you understand how working while collecting benefits affects your weekly claims. You'll need to report any wages when you file your weekly certification with NYS Department of Labor.

I had a similar issue when I first applied. The confusion often comes from different terminology - some employers ask for "unemployment insurance number" when they really just want your SSN for tax purposes. However, if you need your actual claim number for reference, you can also find it on your payment history page in your my.ny.gov account. It's usually listed as your "claim effective date" along with a reference number. Double check with your employer what specifically they need - it might save you a lot of searching!

I work in HR and can clarify this confusion! When we ask for an "unemployment insurance number," we're usually looking for one of three things: 1) Your SSN (most common), 2) Your claim number from NYS DOL, or 3) Sometimes your employer account number if you're a former employee. The best approach is to ask your employer specifically which format they need. Most of the time it's just your SSN, but if they need your actual claim details, those are found in your my.ny.gov account under the weekly claims section. Don't stress too much about finding some mysterious separate number - it's likely simpler than you think!

I went through this same confusion a few months ago! The terminology is definitely misleading. In my case, I called the employer back and they confirmed they just needed my SSN - they were using "unemployment insurance number" as a generic term for identification purposes. If you want to be extra thorough, you could provide both your SSN and mention your claim effective date from your my.ny.gov account, but 99% of the time they just want the SSN. Save yourself the headache and just ask them directly what format they're expecting!

I ran into this exact same issue when I first started collecting benefits! The NYS DOL system definitely could be more user-friendly about this. What worked for me was logging into my.ny.gov and going to the "Unemployment Services" section, then clicking on "View Benefit Payment History." There's usually a claim number or reference ID shown there that some employers accept. But honestly, like others have said, most of the time when they ask for "unemployment insurance number" they really just want your SSN. I'd suggest calling the employer first to clarify exactly what they need before spending more time digging through the system. It'll save you a lot of frustration!

I actually just went through this process last month and can confirm what everyone else is saying - there's no separate "unemployment insurance number" that gets mailed to you. The confusion comes from inconsistent terminology. When I first applied, I spent way too much time looking for some special number that doesn't exist. Your best bet is to call the employer and ask them specifically what they need. In most cases, they're just asking for your SSN for their records. If they need your actual claim information, you can find your claim number in your my.ny.gov account under the weekly claims section or in your payment history. But seriously, save yourself the headache and just call them first - it's usually much simpler than you think!

I'm dealing with this same issue right now! It's really frustrating how confusing the terminology is. I've been logged into my.ny.gov for the past hour trying to find some specific "unemployment insurance number" that apparently doesn't exist as a separate thing. From reading all these responses, it sounds like I should just call my potential employer and ask them to clarify exactly what format they need - whether it's just my SSN, my claim number, or something else entirely. It's crazy that such a simple question can cause so much confusion because of inconsistent terminology. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences, it's really helpful to know I'm not the only one who got stuck on this!

I just went through this exact same frustration a few weeks ago! Like everyone else has mentioned, there's no separate "unemployment insurance number" that NYS Department of Labor mails out. The terminology is super confusing and honestly misleading. After spending way too much time searching through my account, I ended up calling the employer directly and they clarified they just wanted my SSN - they were using "unemployment insurance number" as a catch-all term for identification purposes. If you want to be thorough, you could also mention your claim effective date from your weekly claims page in my.ny.gov, but 9 times out of 10 they just need your Social Security number. Save yourself the time and stress - just call them and ask exactly what format they're looking for!

I'm going through this exact same situation right now! Just got approved for benefits last week and a potential employer is asking for my "unemployment insurance number" and I've been searching everywhere for it. After reading through all these responses, it's clear this is a super common confusion because of misleading terminology. I was starting to panic thinking I missed some important document or step in the process. It sounds like the best approach is to just call the employer directly and ask them to specify exactly what they need - whether it's my SSN, claim number from my.ny.gov account, or something else. Really appreciate everyone sharing their experiences here, it's such a relief to know this isn't just me being confused! The NYS DOL system could definitely be clearer about this stuff.

I'm new to this community and currently going through the unemployment process myself. Reading through all these responses has been incredibly helpful! I was actually about to post the exact same question because I've been searching for this "unemployment insurance number" for the past two days. It's such a relief to see that this confusion is so common and that there isn't actually a separate number I'm supposed to have received. The terminology really is misleading - when an employer asks for an "unemployment insurance number" it definitely sounds like it should be some specific identifier from NYS DOL. Based on everyone's advice here, I'm going to call my potential employer tomorrow and just ask them directly what format they need. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences - this thread is going to save me hours of unnecessary searching!