What are the best NY unemployment phone numbers to actually reach a human agent?

The main number is always a nightmare. I had better luck with the claims specialist line: 888-783-1370. Try calling right when they open at 8am or after 4pm - those worked better for me. But honestly it's still hit or miss.

i tried all the #'s last month when my payment got stuck. none of them worked tbh. kept getting hung up on after waiting 1-2 hrs

Here are the current phone numbers for NY unemployment as of April 2025: - Main Claims: 888-209-8124 - Technical Support: 800-833-3000 - Payment Issues: 888-783-1370 - Appeals: 518-402-0030 - TTY/TDD: 888-662-1220 The technical support number sometimes has shorter wait times, and you can ask them to transfer you to claims if you have a payment issue. Also, avoid calling on Mondays and Tuesdays as those are the busiest days.

After wasting WEEKS trying to get through on all the regular numbers, I finally used Claimyr (claimyr.com) and got connected to an agent in 15 minutes instead of waiting for hours or getting disconnected. They have a service that holds your place in line and calls you when an agent is available. Saved my sanity! They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/Rdqa1gKtxuE

One more tip: when you call, select the option for "file a new claim" even if you're checking on an existing one. Those agents can usually help with any issue but that queue is often shorter because fewer people are filing new claims compared to checking on existing ones.

i always hit the spanish option then just talk in english when a person answers... they all speak english too and that line is way shorter lol

Has anyone had luck calling the local career centers instead of the main unemployment office? I've been wondering if they might be able to help with claim issues too or at least have direct lines to the unemployment office? My claim has been pending for 3 weeks with no explanation and I'm getting really worried about making my bills this month.

When I was having trouble last month, I emailed my state senator's office and explained my situation. Their constituent services actually reached out to someone at NYSDOL and got my issue resolved within 3 days. Might be worth trying if you keep hitting dead ends with the phone numbers.

The 800-833-3000 number worked for me yesterday. I called at 3:45pm and only waited about 20 minutes. The key is to immediately say "speak to an agent" when the automated system asks why you're calling. If you go through the menu options, you'll likely end up in a longer queue.

Just wanted to give everyone an update - I tried calling the technical support number (800-833-3000) this morning at 8:15am and got through to an agent after only 35 minutes! The agent was able to transfer me directly to claims and they finally resolved my pending issue. Turns out there was a verification flag on my account that needed to be cleared manually. My payments should start processing within 24-48 hours. Thanks everyone for all the helpful suggestions - this community is a lifesaver! For anyone still struggling, definitely try that technical support number early in the morning and ask for a transfer to claims if needed.

Another thing that helped me when I was dealing with a similar situation - if you have any documentation related to your claim issue (like letters from NYSDOL, screenshots of error messages, etc.), have all of that ready before you call. When I finally got through to an agent, they were able to resolve my issue much faster because I could reference specific dates and case numbers right away. Also, if the first agent can't help you, don't be afraid to politely ask to speak with a supervisor or to be transferred to someone who specializes in your type of issue. Sometimes the first person you reach just doesn't have access to the tools needed to fix certain problems.

I've been dealing with a similar situation for the past month and want to share what finally worked for me. After trying all the numbers mentioned here with limited success, I found that calling the 888-783-1370 (payment issues) line at exactly 7:55am (5 minutes before they officially open) actually got me in the queue before the rush. I think their system starts accepting calls a few minutes early. When I got through, the agent told me that a lot of pending claims right now are due to identity verification issues - apparently they've tightened their fraud detection systems and it's flagging legitimate claims. If your claim has been pending for more than 2 weeks with no clear reason, definitely ask the agent to check if there's a verification flag on your account. They can often clear it right over the phone if you have your documents ready (driver's license, social security card, etc.). Also keeping my fingers crossed for everyone still trying to get through - don't give up!

One more strategy that worked for me last week - if you keep getting disconnected after long waits, try calling from a different phone number. I was calling from my cell phone for days and kept getting hung up on after 1-2 hours of waiting. When I switched to calling from my landline, I got through within 45 minutes. I think their system might deprioritize certain numbers or carriers that have called too many times recently. Also, make sure you're in a quiet location with good reception - nothing worse than finally getting an agent and having the call drop due to poor signal. The stress of dealing with unemployment issues is bad enough without adding technical difficulties on top of it!

I've been lurking on this thread for the past few days while dealing with my own unemployment nightmare, and I just wanted to say thank you to everyone who's shared their experiences and tips. I finally got through this morning using a combination of advice from here - called the technical support number (800-833-3000) at 7:58am from my girlfriend's phone instead of my own, had all my documents organized in a folder, and immediately said "speak to an agent" when the system asked what I needed. Got connected after only 28 minutes and the agent was super helpful! Turns out I had the same identity verification flag that others mentioned. She cleared it in about 5 minutes and said my payments should resume by Friday. This community is seriously amazing - without all your collective wisdom I'd probably still be banging my head against the wall with that main 888 number. Hope this helps anyone else who's still struggling!

Just wanted to add my experience from this week - I was having the same issue with my claim being stuck in pending status for almost a month. After reading through all the great advice here, I tried the 7:55am early call strategy with the 888-783-1370 payment issues number and got through in under 30 minutes! The agent immediately identified that I had an identity verification hold and walked me through clearing it over the phone. What really helped was having my ID, Social Security card, and recent pay stubs ready as PDFs on my computer so I could quickly reference any numbers they needed. My advice: definitely try that payment issues line in the early morning, have ALL your documents organized beforehand, and don't be discouraged if it takes a few tries. The agents have been really helpful once you actually get through to them. Thanks to everyone in this thread for sharing your strategies - this community knowledge is invaluable when dealing with the unemployment system!

I've been following this thread closely over the past few days and wanted to share my own success story to hopefully help others still struggling. After being stuck in pending status for over 2 weeks, I finally got through yesterday using the strategies shared here. I called 888-783-1370 at exactly 7:57am and got connected to an agent after about 25 minutes of waiting. Just like others have mentioned, it was indeed an identity verification hold on my account. The agent was incredibly helpful and cleared it immediately after I provided my driver's license and SSN info over the phone. She explained that NY has implemented stricter fraud detection measures recently which is why so many legitimate claims are getting flagged. My first payment was released this morning, less than 24 hours after the hold was cleared! For anyone still trying - definitely use that payment issues line early in the morning, have your documents ready, and don't give up. This community has been more helpful than any official resource I've found. Thank you all for sharing your experiences!