Waiting 9 weeks on my first unemployment payment - 9 weeks in

I applied for unemployment in Albuquerque 9 weeks ago and the status page still says pending. This is my first time dealing with any of this. I answered every question and uploaded my final pay stub. Is there a step I could have missed?

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

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