What is identification number for unemployment - NYS Department of Labor claim setup
I'm trying to file my initial unemployment claim with NYS Department of Labor and it's asking for an identification number. I've been looking through all my paperwork and I can't figure out what this is supposed to be. Is it my social security number? Some kind of employee ID from my last job? The my.ny.gov website isn't clear about this and I don't want to mess up my application by putting the wrong number in. Has anyone else run into this during the filing process?
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Diego Rojas
The identification number for your NYS Department of Labor unemployment claim is typically your Social Security Number. That's what they use to track your employment history and wages. Make sure you enter it exactly as it appears on your Social Security card - no dashes or spaces.
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Chloe Martin
AuthorThank you! I was overthinking it. Should I include the dashes when I type it in or just the numbers?
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Anastasia Sokolov
Yeah it's your SSN but some employers also give you a separate employee ID number that might show up on your last pay stub. Don't use that one though - stick with your social security number for the NYS Department of Labor application.
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Sean O'Donnell
I had the same confusion when I filed last year! The wording on the my.ny.gov site is confusing. It's definitely your social security number. Just enter the 9 digits without any formatting.
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Zara Ahmed
Wait I'm confused now too... I thought they might want my driver's license number or something? The form just says 'identification number' which could be anything. This is so stressful.
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Diego Rojas
No, for unemployment claims it's always your SSN. Your driver's license number wouldn't help them verify your work history with past employers.
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StarStrider
If you're having trouble getting through to NYS Department of Labor to verify this, I recently discovered claimyr.com which helps you actually reach an agent by phone. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI that shows how it works. Saved me hours of calling and getting busy signals when I had questions about my claim setup.
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Chloe Martin
AuthorInteresting, I might check that out if I run into more issues. The phone lines are always busy when I try to call.
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Luca Esposito
just put ur ssn in there and move on, its not that complicated
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Jabari-Jo
I went through this exact same process a few months ago and can confirm it's definitely your Social Security Number. The NY Department of Labor uses your SSN to pull up your wage history from all your previous employers - that's how they calculate your benefit amount. Just enter the 9 digits with no dashes or spaces. Don't stress about it, you've got this! The rest of the application process is pretty straightforward once you get past that first screen.
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