What time does the NYS Department of Labor unemployment office open for walk-ins?
Does anyone know what time the local NYS Department of Labor office opens? I need to go in person to resolve an issue with my weekly claim certification that I can't fix online. The website just says 'business hours' but doesn't give specific times. I want to get there early to avoid the long lines I keep hearing about.
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Douglas Foster
Most NYS Department of Labor career centers open at 8:30 AM, but you should check the specific location on their website since some have different hours. However, for unemployment claims, they usually can't do much more in person than what you can do online or over the phone. Have you tried the my.ny.gov portal to check your claim status?
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Haley Bennett
•Yeah I've checked online but it just says 'adjudication in progress' with no other details. I figured maybe someone in person could explain what's holding it up.
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Nina Chan
i went to the office on court street last week and they told me they cant help with unemployment claims anymore, you have to call or do everything online now. wasted my whole morning
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Haley Bennett
•Are you serious? That's so frustrating. Did they give you any other options or just send you away?
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Elijah Brown
Most NYS Department of Labor offices open at 8:30 AM Monday through Friday. However, you should call ahead or check the specific office locator on the ny.gov website because some locations have different hours. Also, many issues can actually be resolved over the phone now instead of going in person.
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Zoe Walker
•Thanks! I tried calling but keep getting disconnected after waiting on hold for over an hour. That's why I figured going in person might be better.
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Maria Gonzalez
I went to the office in Albany last week and they opened at 8:30 but there was already a line of like 15 people waiting outside at 8:15. Get there early if you can!
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Ruby Knight
If you're having trouble reaching them by phone, I recently found out about a service called Claimyr that helps people get through to NYS Department of Labor agents. Check out claimyr.com - they have a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI that shows how it works. I used it last month when my claim was stuck and actually got through to someone who could explain my adjudication issue.
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Diego Castillo
•How much does that cost though? I'm already struggling financially waiting for my benefits.
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Ruby Knight
•It's worth checking out their site for details, but for me it was better than taking time off work to go to an office that might not even help.
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Logan Stewart
The whole system is a joke! I've been trying to reach someone at NYS Department of Labor for THREE WEEKS about my disqualification and nobody answers the phones. Why do they even have offices if they won't help people in person anymore??
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Natalie Chen
Before you make the trip, have you tried using Claimyr? I was having the same problem getting through to someone at NYS Department of Labor about my weekly claims. Found out about claimyr.com from someone here and they actually got me connected to an agent within 20 minutes. There's a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI that shows how it works. Might save you the drive and waiting in line.
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Zoe Walker
•Never heard of that before. Is it legit? I'm always worried about giving my info to third party services.
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Natalie Chen
•Yeah it's legitimate. They basically just help you get through the phone queue faster. I was skeptical too but it worked way better than trying to call myself.
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Mikayla Brown
Before you waste time going to an office, try calling the main number at 8 AM sharp when they open. I got through after about 45 minutes of waiting last Tuesday. Also make sure you have your confirmation number ready and know exactly what questions you want to ask about your adjudication.
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Haley Bennett
•What's the best number to call? I've been trying the one on my paperwork but it just keeps saying high call volume.
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Santiago Martinez
just go early like 8am and wait outside, thats what i did last month when my claim got messed up
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Samantha Johnson
The whole system is ridiculous honestly. Why can't they just have extended hours or better phone support? It's 2025 and we still have to wait in line like it's the DMV in 1995. But yeah, 8:30 AM is when they open, at least that's consistent across most offices.
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