What do I need to take to the unemployment office for my NYS Department of Labor appointment?

Bring multiple forms of ID - your driver's license or state ID plus your Social Security card is usually what they want. Also bring your most recent pay stubs from your last job, your separation paperwork if you have it (like a termination letter or layoff notice), and any W-2s from the past year. If you have your birth certificate that's good backup ID too.

Also bring bank statements showing direct deposit from your employer if you have them. The NYS Department of Labor office I went to wanted to verify my work history and that helped prove I actually worked where I said I did. And make sure you bring originals not copies - they need to see the real documents.

ugh these appointments are such a pain!! i had to take off work just to prove i deserve the benefits im already supposed to get. the whole system is backwards

If you're having trouble getting through to the NYS Department of Labor to clarify what you need, I had good luck using Claimyr (claimyr.com) to actually reach someone on the phone. They have this system that calls for you and gets you connected to an actual person instead of sitting on hold forever. There's a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI that shows how it works. Might be worth calling ahead to confirm your document list.

Definitely bring more than you think you need. I brought everything - tax returns, bank statements, old pay stubs, lease agreement to prove residency, utility bills. Better to have too much than not enough. The whole verification process is designed to make you prove every single detail of your claim.

I just went through this same process last month! In addition to what others mentioned, I'd recommend bringing a printed copy of your online unemployment claim confirmation if you have one, plus any correspondence you've received from the Department of Labor. They asked me for proof of my job search activities too, so if you've been keeping track of where you've applied, bring that list. Also, get there early - my appointment was at 2pm but I showed up at 1:30 and they were running behind schedule. The whole thing took about 45 minutes once I actually got called in.

Just wanted to add - if you were paid by check instead of direct deposit, bring copies of those old paystubs or even photos of the checks if you have them. I was a contractor for part of my work history and they really scrutinized that employment since it wasn't traditional W-2 work. Also, if you have any documentation about why you lost your job (company closure notice, mass layoff announcement, etc.) that can help speed things up. They're basically trying to verify you're not committing fraud, so anything that shows your work history and separation circumstances is good to have. Good luck with your appointment!