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I had trouble getting through to NYS Department of Labor to ask about this exact question. Kept getting busy signals and when I finally got through, they hung up on me after 30 minutes on hold. Found this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that actually got me connected to a real person at NYS Department of Labor in like 10 minutes. They have a video demo showing how it works: https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI. The agent explained the whole tax situation and helped me set up withholding for future claims.
THE WHOLE SYSTEM IS RIGGED ANYWAY!!! Companies always blame external factors when they want to cut costs. Minimum wage, taxes, regulations - there's always some excuse. Meanwhile we're the ones left scrambling to pay rent while dealing with NYS Department of Labor bureaucracy. At least you got approved though, that's something.
Just a heads up - make sure you're keeping track of your job search activities for your weekly claims. NYS Department of Labor requires you to make at least 3 work search contacts per week and log them. Don't let that slip or it could cause issues with your benefits later on.
I filed in November and got my first payment in like 10 days! But I think I was lucky because it was right after I got let go and my employer didn't contest it or anything. Restaurant jobs are usually pretty straightforward for unemployment.
If you're having trouble reaching someone at NYS Department of Labor by phone, I had success using this service called Claimyr at claimyr.com. They help you get through to an actual agent without waiting on hold forever. There's a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI that shows how it works. Saved me hours of calling and getting disconnected.
Just want to add that you should file as soon as possible after losing your job. There's a one week waiting period before you start getting paid, so the sooner you file the sooner that waiting period starts. Also make sure you have your Social Security card and driver's license handy when you apply.
Jamal Carter
I had trouble getting through to NYS Department of Labor by phone when I had questions about my claim timing. If you run into that problem, there's actually a service called Claimyr that helps people get connected to unemployment agents. Check out claimyr.com - they have a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI that shows how it works. Saved me hours of trying to call myself.
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Mei Liu
•Never heard of that before but the phone lines are definitely impossible to get through on. Might check it out if I have issues.
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Liam O'Donnell
The system is so backwards - you can file immediately but then they make you wait a week for no good reason. It's like they want people to suffer. At least file right away though because every day you wait just pushes back when you'll eventually get paid.
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