Waiting 20 weeks on my first unemployment payment after 14 years as a retail manager

I filed my claim 20 weeks ago after being let go as a retail manager. I have been trying to stay organised about it. I called the state line four times and only reached a recording. What would you check first?

Thanks for writing this out. I went through something close to it 11 months ago, and it got easier once I kept a simple log of every call and form.