Why does NYS Department of Labor unemployment verification take so long?
I'm going on week 6 waiting for my unemployment claim to get approved and I'm starting to lose my mind. Filed in early December after getting laid off from my warehouse job and it's been sitting in 'adjudication pending' status this whole time. I keep checking my.ny.gov every day and there's no updates, no requests for additional info, nothing. Called the NYS Department of Labor hotline probably 20 times and either get disconnected or told they can't give me any timeline. Why does unemployment take so long to process? Is this normal or did something go wrong with my application?
12 comments


Malik Robinson
Unfortunately yes, this is pretty typical right now. NYS Department of Labor has been overwhelmed with claims and their adjudication process can take 4-8 weeks or even longer depending on the complexity. If you were laid off from your warehouse job, that should be straightforward, but they still verify employment history with your former employer. The system is just slow and understaffed.
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GalaxyGlider
•That's so frustrating! My employer said they'd respond quickly to any verification requests but I have no idea if NYS Department of Labor even contacted them yet.
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Isabella Silva
same boat here, filed in november and just got approved last week. took forever but the back pay came through at least
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Ravi Choudhury
The adjudication delays are partly because NYS Department of Labor has to verify every detail - your work history, reason for separation, wages, etc. They're also dealing with fraud prevention measures that slow things down. Have you tried logging into your account to see if there are any outstanding issues or documents they need? Sometimes there's a notification that doesn't show up right away.
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GalaxyGlider
•I check constantly and there's nothing in my messages or tasks. Just says 'claim under review' with no other details.
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Freya Andersen
I had the same issue trying to reach someone at NYS Department of Labor - their phone system is basically useless during peak hours. I ended up using this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that helped me get through to an actual agent. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI showing how it works. Basically they handle the calling for you and get you connected when an agent becomes available. Cost me some money but was worth it to finally get answers about my claim status.
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Omar Farouk
•How much did that cost? I'm getting desperate but don't want to spend a ton if I'm already broke from being unemployed.
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Freya Andersen
•They don't list pricing on the site but it wasn't unreasonable considering I was able to talk to someone within a few hours instead of calling for weeks. At least check out their demo video to see if it seems worth it.
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CosmicCadet
THE WHOLE SYSTEM IS BROKEN!!! I've been waiting 8 weeks and they keep saying 'processing' with no timeline. Meanwhile bills are piling up and I can't get anyone to tell me what's actually happening with my claim. NYS Department of Labor acts like they're doing us a favor when this is INSURANCE WE PAID INTO!!!
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Chloe Harris
•I feel you on this one, the whole process is so stressful when you're already dealing with job loss
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Isabella Silva
btw make sure you keep filing your weekly claims even while it's pending, otherwise you might miss out on back pay when it finally gets approved
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GalaxyGlider
•Yeah I've been doing that religiously every Sunday. At least that part of the system works consistently.
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