Why is unemployment taking so long - NYS Department of Labor delays getting worse?

Unfortunately yes, NYS Department of Labor is experiencing significant processing delays right now. The 'pending' status usually means your claim is in adjudication, which can take 4-8 weeks depending on the complexity. Keep filing your weekly claims even though you're not getting paid yet - when it's approved you'll receive all back payments. Make sure you haven't missed any requests for documentation in your online account.

same thing happened to me, took 7 weeks before I saw a penny. the system is completely broken right now

I had success using Claimyr to actually get through to a NYS Department of Labor agent. You can check it out at claimyr.com - they have a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI that shows how it works. Basically they call for you and connect you when an agent picks up. I was able to find out my claim was waiting for wage verification from my previous employer.

THE NYS DEPARTMENT OF LABOR IS A COMPLETE JOKE! I've been waiting 9 WEEKS for my claim to be processed. They have ONE job and they can't even do that right. Meanwhile bills keep coming and they act like we don't exist.

Just want to say you're not alone in this. So many of us are dealing with these insane delays. Stay strong!

I'm going through the exact same thing - filed in mid-December and still stuck on pending. What's really frustrating is there's no transparency about what's actually causing the delay or any realistic timeline. I've tried calling dozens of times but like you said, either disconnected or told about high call volume. The stress of not knowing when (or if) this will get resolved while bills pile up is overwhelming. Have you tried reaching out to your local assembly member's office? I've heard some people have had luck getting help that way.

I'm experiencing the exact same situation - filed in early December and still showing pending status with no explanation. It's incredibly frustrating to be left in the dark while rent and bills are due. I've been trying to call every morning when they open but can never get through. The lack of communication from NYS DOL is making an already stressful situation so much worse. At least knowing there's a specific issue or timeline would help, but the complete silence is anxiety-inducing. Hoping we all get some resolution soon.

I'm in a similar situation - filed in late November and still pending after 7+ weeks. What's helped me stay somewhat sane is setting up a spreadsheet to track my weekly certifications and call attempts. I've also started screenshotting my account status weekly just to have documentation. One thing I discovered is that some people have had luck calling the technical support line instead of the main claims line - they can sometimes transfer you or at least confirm your claim is in the system properly. The number is different and seems to have shorter hold times. Still no resolution for me yet, but at least I got to speak to an actual human who confirmed my claim wasn't lost in the system.

I'm dealing with the exact same nightmare - filed my claim in mid-December and it's been over 5 weeks of nothing but "pending" status. Like you, I've been calling constantly but either get hung up on or sit on hold for hours just to be told they can't help me. What's really maddening is that there's zero communication about what's actually happening with our claims or any realistic timeframe for resolution. I've had to ask family for help with rent which is humiliating. The fact that so many of us are going through this exact same situation shows there's clearly a systemic problem at NYS DOL right now. Keep filing those weekly claims though - from what I've read, when it finally does get approved we should get all the back pay. Hang in there, you're definitely not alone in this mess.

I'm going through the exact same thing and it's absolutely maddening. Filed my claim in early December and I'm now at 6+ weeks of just staring at "pending" status with zero explanation. What makes it even worse is that I had a job lined up that fell through due to budget cuts, so I'm really dependent on this unemployment to survive. I've tried calling at different times of day, different days of the week - doesn't matter. Either I get the busy signal or sit on hold for 2+ hours just to get disconnected. The lack of transparency is what's killing me mentally - just tell us what the holdup is and give us a realistic timeframe! I've been keeping a daily log of my attempts to contact them and plan to file a complaint with my state representative if this goes on much longer. We shouldn't have to become detectives just to find out the status of our own claims. Hang in there - sounds like we're all in the same sinking boat together.

I'm in the exact same situation - filed in early December and now approaching 7 weeks with nothing but "pending" status. What's particularly frustrating is that I was laid off from a job I held for 3 years, so this isn't a complicated case that should require extensive review. I've tried calling every single day, sometimes multiple times, and like everyone else here I either get disconnected immediately or sit on hold for hours just to get cut off. The complete lack of communication is what's driving me crazy - even just knowing WHY it's taking so long or getting a realistic timeline would help manage expectations. I've had to drain my savings and am now looking at potentially missing rent next month. It's encouraging to see others suggest contacting state representatives - I think I'm going to try that route too since the normal channels clearly aren't working. This system is completely broken and it's affecting real people's ability to survive. Hang in there everyone, hopefully we'll all see movement soon.

I'm dealing with this exact same nightmare - filed my initial claim in mid-December and I'm now at week 6 with absolutely nothing but "pending" status. What's really getting to me is the complete lack of transparency from NYS DOL. I've called probably 50+ times at this point and either get immediately disconnected or wait on hold for hours just to get cut off. The stress of not knowing what's wrong or when this might resolve while my bills pile up is honestly affecting my mental health. I've started keeping a detailed log of every call attempt and weekly certification just to have some record of this mess. Reading everyone's comments here makes me realize this is clearly a systemic breakdown rather than individual case issues. I think I'm going to follow the suggestions about contacting my state representative - the regular channels are completely useless. Stay strong everyone, hopefully our collective pressure will eventually force some accountability and answers from the department.

I'm experiencing the exact same frustrating situation - filed my claim in early December and I'm now at 6+ weeks stuck on "pending" with zero communication from NYS DOL. Like everyone else here, I've made countless attempts to call but either get disconnected immediately or wait hours on hold just to get cut off. What's really striking to me is how many of us are sharing nearly identical experiences - same filing timeframe, same "pending" status, same inability to reach anyone by phone. This clearly points to a major systemic failure in their processing system rather than individual case issues. I've started documenting every call attempt and weekly certification, and I think the suggestions about contacting state representatives are spot on. When this many people are experiencing identical delays for basic unemployment claims, there needs to be accountability. The financial stress is bad enough, but the complete lack of transparency about what's causing these delays or any realistic timeline is making the situation so much worse. Hang in there everyone - hopefully our collective voices will eventually force some action and answers from the department.

I'm in the exact same boat - filed my initial claim in mid-December and it's now been 6+ weeks of just staring at "pending" with no explanation whatsoever. What's really frustrating is that I keep filing my weekly claims religiously like we're supposed to, but there's absolutely no feedback about what's actually happening with my case. I've tried calling at every possible time - early morning, lunch break, late afternoon - and it's always the same story: either immediate busy signal or hours on hold just to get disconnected. The financial stress is one thing, but the complete information blackout from NYS DOL is what's really getting to me. At least if they told us "your claim is waiting for X" or "expect delays of Y weeks" we could plan accordingly. Instead we're all just left guessing while rent and bills keep coming. Really appreciate everyone sharing their experiences here - it's oddly comforting to know this is a widespread system failure and not something I did wrong with my application.