My first unemployment payment still has not arrived, event coordinator here

I applied for unemployment in San Diego 18 weeks ago and the status page still says pending. Thank you in advance. I called the state line four times and only reached a recording. What would you check first?

When I finally got through, the agent said my employer had responded late. Once that cleared, back pay came in one payment.

Keep certifying every week even while you wait. If they find you eligible, the weeks you certified are the ones that count.