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.