Waiting 17 weeks on my first unemployment payment - any advice?

I was laid off as a payroll clerk and filed right away, and I have been certifying every week. Any experience at all would help. The page shows my claim as open but no payment date. Has anyone been through this? How long did it take in the end?

Thanks for writing this out. I went through something close to it last year, and it got easier once I kept a simple log of every call and form.