Need NY unemployment office phone number ASAP - urgent claim issue

The main number for NY unemployment is 1-888-209-8124. They're open Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM. But honestly, good luck getting through - it's almost impossible these days without spending hours on hold.

call early in the morning right when they open!! thats what i always do, like call at 7:59am and be ready to hit the options as soon as 8am hits

In addition to the main number (1-888-209-8124), there are a few tips to improve your chances of getting through: 1. Call Tuesday-Thursday (Monday and Friday are typically busiest) 2. Try around 8:30am or after 4:30pm 3. When the automated system asks for your SSN, enter it wrong once - sometimes this routes you to an agent faster 4. Have your NY.gov ID, claim information, and any correspondence reference numbers ready If your issue is related to a specific correspondence you received, there might be a direct number listed on that document.

I was in the same boat last month - couldn't get through for days and was getting desperate. A friend told me about Claimyr.com and it actually worked! It's a service that helps you skip the wait times and connects you directly to an unemployment agent. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/Rdqa1gKtxuE I was skeptical but it got me through to an actual person in about 20 minutes when I'd been trying for almost a week on my own. Just thought I'd share since you said it was urgent.

Yes, Claimyr does work. I used it two months ago when my claim was stuck in pending for no apparent reason. The regular phone system is deliberately designed to make you give up. I spent 5 days trying to get through before using Claimyr, and they had me talking to an agent in about 25 minutes. One tip regardless of how you reach them - when you do get an agent, ask for their direct extension or if there's a callback option if you get disconnected. Some agents will provide this info if you ask nicely.

The whole system is BROKEN BY DESIGN!! They make it nearly impossible to get through because they don't want to pay people. I've been dealing with NYSDOL for 3 months and spent probably 40+ hours just trying to get through to a person. It's dehumanizing and cruel to people who are already struggling. They know exactly what they're doing!

UPDATE: I finally got through! I ended up using Claimyr this morning after trying for an hour on my own with no luck. Got connected to an agent in about 20 minutes and they fixed my issue right away - turns out there was a verification flag on my account that they quickly removed. My payment should be processed in 3 business days. Thanks everyone for your help and suggestions!