Waiting 21 weeks on my first unemployment payment

I was laid off as a machine operator and filed right away, and I have been certifying every week. This is my first time dealing with any of this. I called the state line four times and only reached a recording. Has anyone been through this? How long did it take in the end?

Check the messages section of your claim, not just the dashboard. That is where my request for more information was hiding.

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