What do I need to sign up for NYS Department of Labor unemployment benefits?

You'll need several key items for your NYS Department of Labor claim. Start with your Social Security number, driver's license or state ID, and complete employment history for the past 18 months including employer names, addresses, dates of employment, and your final gross weekly wages. Also gather any separation documents from your employer like a termination letter or layoff notice. If you have direct deposit info handy, that speeds up benefit payments once approved.

The my.ny.gov website walks you through everything step by step, but having your employment dates exact is crucial. NYS Department of Labor will verify your wages with employers anyway, but wrong dates can delay your claim. Also make sure you apply within the first week of being unemployed - there's no waiting period to file and delays can cost you money.

Had similar situation last year when my company did layoffs. Besides what others mentioned, if you're having trouble getting through to NYS Department of Labor by phone to ask questions, I found claimyr.com really helpful. They have this system that calls for you and gets you connected to an actual agent - saved me hours of busy signals. There's a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI that shows how it works. Made the whole process way less stressful when I had questions about my claim status.

ugh the whole system is such a pain. took me forever to get approved and then they kept asking for more documentation even though i sent everything they wanted the first time. just be prepared for delays and frustration

One thing people forget - if you worked in other states recently, you might need wage info from those states too. NYS Department of Labor uses a combined wage claim if you qualify. Also if you're union, bring any union documentation about the layoff.