What time does NYS Department of Labor unemployment office close for phone calls?
I've been trying to call the NYS Department of Labor about my claim all week but keep missing their hours. Does anyone know what time the unemployment phone lines actually close? I work until 4pm and by the time I get home and try calling, I always get the 'we are currently closed' message. Are they really closed that early or am I calling the wrong number?
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Giovanni Rossi
The main NYS Department of Labor unemployment phone line closes at 5:00 PM Monday through Friday. But honestly, even calling during business hours doesn't guarantee you'll get through - the wait times are usually 45+ minutes and sometimes they just hang up on you when call volume is high.
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CosmicCaptain
•Thanks! I'll try calling right at 4pm tomorrow and see if I can get through before they close. Hopefully the wait isn't too crazy.
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Fatima Al-Maktoum
they close at 5 but good luck actually getting someone on the phone lol, been trying for 2 weeks to ask about my adjudication status
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Dylan Mitchell
The official hours are 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM, Monday through Friday. However, I'd recommend calling as early as possible - the lines get completely jammed by mid-morning. If you're having trouble getting through during regular hours, I actually found a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that helped me connect to a NYS Department of Labor agent when I couldn't get through myself. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI showing how it works. Saved me hours of redialing.
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Sofia Gutierrez
•Never heard of that service before but might be worth trying if the regular phone number keeps failing me. How quickly did they get you connected?
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Dylan Mitchell
•It took about 20 minutes for them to get me through to an actual person at NYS Department of Labor. Way better than the 3+ hours I was spending trying to call myself every day.
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Dmitry Petrov
The phone system is absolutely broken. Even when you call during business hours you'll sit on hold forever and then get disconnected. I've had better luck trying to resolve issues through my online account or going to a local office in person, but that's not always an option depending on what you need help with.
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CosmicCaptain
•I tried my online account but it just says 'contact customer service' for my specific issue. Looks like I'm stuck trying to get through by phone somehow.
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StarSurfer
5pm is correct but honestly the whole system is a nightmare, took me 3 months to get my claim sorted out because of how impossible it is to reach anyone there
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Grace Durand
•3 months?! That's insane. I'm really hoping I don't have to deal with anything that complicated - just need to update my address and ask about a payment delay. Maybe I should try calling right when they open at 8am instead of waiting until after work.
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Destiny Bryant
I've had some success calling right at 8:00 AM when they first open - the wait times are usually shorter in the morning before everyone starts calling during their lunch breaks. Also, make sure you're calling the main unemployment line at 1-888-209-8124, not one of the other Department of Labor numbers. If you keep getting disconnected, try calling back immediately - sometimes the system will put you in a different queue. The automated system can be confusing but don't hang up if it seems like it's taking forever to connect you to the right department.
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Zara Ahmed
•This is really helpful advice! I didn't realize there were multiple Department of Labor numbers and I might have been calling the wrong one. I'll definitely try the 1-888-209-8124 number first thing at 8am tomorrow. Fingers crossed the morning timing makes a difference - seems like everyone here agrees that's the best strategy.
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Malik Robinson
I work in customer service and deal with high-volume phone systems regularly. Here's what I've learned works for the NYS DOL: Call exactly at 8:00 AM when they open - literally have your phone ready to dial at 7:59:59 AM. The system resets overnight and you have the best chance in those first few minutes. Also, if you get the busy signal or "all circuits are busy" message, hang up immediately and redial - don't wait. The system queues differently each time you call. I got through on my 4th attempt using this method after weeks of failed afternoon calls.
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Eloise Kendrick
•This is such practical advice! I never thought about having the phone ready to dial right at 7:59:59 AM - that's genius. The tip about hanging up immediately on busy signals instead of waiting makes total sense too. I've been doing the opposite and probably wasting time in the wrong queues. Going to set an alarm for 7:55 AM tomorrow and give this strategy a shot. Really appreciate you sharing your customer service expertise!
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