Need NY unemployment phone number to speak with a real person - urgent!

The official number is 1-888-209-8124, but we all know how impossible it is to get through. Your best bet is to call exactly at 8:00 AM when they open. I've found that Monday and Tuesday are actually the worst days to call - try Thursday mid-morning if possible. Also, if you have a specific question about your claim, sometimes the online message system gets a response within 48 hours. Have you tried that route?

have u tried the 518 number? sometimes works better than the 888 one. also try pressing 2 then 1 then wait then 3 at the prompts, worked 4 me last month

I was in the same situation last month and wasted nearly a week trying to get through. What finally worked for me was using Claimyr. It's a service that basically keeps dialing for you and gets you in the queue without having to do it manually. I was skeptical at first but it connected me to an agent in about 20 minutes when I'd been trying for days on my own. They have a video that shows how it works: https://youtu.be/Rdqa1gKtxuE and their website is claimyr.com if you want to check it out. Honestly, it was worth it to finally get my claim sorted out.

The phone system is a JOKE!! I've been collecting NY unemployment on and off for years and it's NEVER been this bad. They don't care about us AT ALL. I spent 6 hours last week trying to get through. SIX HOURS!!!! And then when I finally got someone they transferred me and I got disconnected. Started crying right there in my kitchen. The whole system is designed to make people give up.

I just want to mention that if your claim specifically says "pending review" that usually means they're verifying information with your previous employer or checking on eligibility issues. Sometimes calling won't actually speed this up as it's in a separate review queue. However, if it's been more than 3 weeks, you should definitely try to speak with someone as that's longer than the standard review period. One thing that worked for me: call your state assembly person's office. I was surprised, but my assemblywoman's office has a staff person who deals with unemployment issues and they were able to escalate my case. Worth a try while you're also attempting the direct route.

I had this same issue lol. My claim was stuck on pending for like a month and i couldnt get anyone on the phone. I ended up having to try that claimyr thing someone else mentioned and it got me through. The lady on the phone told me my identity verification didnt go through properly and she fixed it while i was on the phone. But tbh I think they just put everything on "pending" hoping people will give up and not collect

For anyone dealing with long wait times, here's some helpful information: 1. The main NY unemployment phone number (1-888-209-8124) has the most staff but also the highest call volume. Operating hours are 8:00 AM - 6:00 PM Monday-Friday. 2. If your claim says "pending review," this typically means one of three things: - Identity verification issue - Employer response pending - Eligibility determination needed 3. Alternative contact methods: - Use the secure message center in your online account - Email through the contact form on the NYSDOL website - Call the alternative claims center: 1-888-783-1370 4. As others have mentioned, contacting your state representative can help escalate cases that have exceeded normal processing times (typically 2-3 weeks). The department is working to improve response times, but current average wait time is approximately 38 minutes when you do connect.

update????? did u ever get thru?