California Employment Development Department (EDD) Payroll Taxes

Phone Number & Getting a Rep

California Employment Development Department (EDD) Payroll Taxes number

888-745-3886
Toll-free·Calls Payroll Taxes·See main phone number & contact info
Q:

How do I talk to a human at this California Employment Development Department (EDD) number?

A:Calling this California Employment Development Department (EDD) number should go right to a real human being
Q:

Does this phone number work 24/7?

A:No. Hours for this phone number are Mon-Fri 8am-5pm PST. The least busy day is Wednesday, and the most busy day is Tuesday. See below for more and to learn where this data comes from.
Q:

How long will I have to wait to speak to California Employment Development Department (EDD) Payroll Taxes?

A:We don't expect that you will have to wait to talk to a person. This is a direct line.

All California Employment Development Department (EDD) customer service contact information

This is the #7 most popular California Employment Development Department (EDD) phone number out of 7. Click above to go back to the main customer service number and other contact information, including California Employment Development Department (EDD) email addresses, twitter handles, and live chat options.

More California Employment Development Department (EDD) Customer Phone Numbers

Claims Department

800-300-5616
Main phone number · Toll-free · Mon-Sun 8am-8pm PST · Press 1, then 6, then 7, then 3, then your SS#, then 1 if your SS# is correct · Debit card info - Call B of A at 1-866-692-9374. Claim status, file a claim, certify for benefits, or need 1099G info, press 1. Employers, press 2. Report fraud - Go online to the website.

Fraud Detection

800-229-6297
Toll-free · 24 hours, 7 days · Direct to Fraud Department · Unemployment claims, press 1. Disability claim, press 2. Paid family leave claim, press 3. Reach the tax branch for tax-related questions, press 4. To report fraud, press 5.

Corporate Offices

714-687-4400
24 hours, 7 days · Calling this California Employment Development Department (EDD) number should go right to a real human being ·

Director's Office

916-654-8210
Mon-Fri 8am-5pm PST · Press 0 · Director's Office - This office does not have access to claimant or employment information. For unemployment assistance, press 1. Paid family leave assistance, press 2. State disability insurance, press 3. To reach an attendant, press 4.

State Disability Insurance

800-480-3287
Toll-free · Mon-Fri 8am-5pm PST · For disability insurance · To report fraud, go online and file a report. Customer service, option 330. Benefit payments, press 1. Online filing, press 2. General disability payments, press 3. Voluntary plans, press 4. Electric coverage for business owners, press 5. Paid family leave, call 1-877-238-4373. Unemployment, call 1-800-300-5616. Payroll taxes, call 1-888-745-3886. 1099G, call 1-866-333-4606.

Vietnamese Customer Service

800-547-2058
Toll-free · Mon-Fri 8am-8pm PST · Once recording starts dial 6...wait for voice..7...wait for voice..3.. Enter Ssn# and press 1 and you WILL get through to an English rep. · This line is for Vietnamese speakers only.

How do I get through the phone menu to a real live person?

GetHuman researchers routinely call this California Employment Development Department (EDD) phone number to document the phone system.
Here is our latest tip for weaving through the phone menu to get to a real person the fastest: Calling this California Employment Development Department (EDD) number should go right to a real human being
Here is how our research team describes the way the California Employment Development Department (EDD) phone system greets you: Cannot assist with unemployment questions, call - to file for benefits, call 800-480-3287
In fact, much of this information on this page is superfluous because this California Employment Development Department (EDD) phone number is a direct line to a human being. The line is well-staffed and you should anticipate a very short wait on hold or none whatsoever, as long as you are calling during business hours.
We don't know of any phone menus you would encounter when calling either.

What are the hours and when should I call?

California Employment Development Department (EDD) operates the call center for this 888-745-3886 phone number Mon-Fri 8am-5pm PT. The short answer is that you should call on a Wednesday. This observation and the following section are based on analysis of a sample set of 4,738 calls made in the last 90 days using our free, web-based phone (see above).
An important note: busy times vs hold times vs best time to call
When we refer to busy or less busy times, we are talking about the volume of calls. The busiest times are when the most people are calling this California Employment Development Department (EDD) phone number (least busy times have fewer people calling). This high call volume does not necessarily mean that you will have a long hold time when you call. Companies like California Employment Development Department (EDD) staff their call centers differently based on the time of day and day of the week, so you may experience a shorter wait on hold at the busiest of times. When we refer to the best time to call, we are referring to the optimal combination of lower call volume and shorter wait times.

The least busy time to call

The least busy day to call California Employment Development Department (EDD) is Wednesday. The most busy day to call is Tuesday. Again, this is based on a sample of 4,738 calls made with our AI-powered, web-based phone in the last 90 days.

The shortest wait on hold

We measured the shortest hold times to be on Friday. The longest wait in the queue on average occurs on Monday.

The best time to call

In summation, the best day to call California Employment Development Department (EDD) is Wednesday. This is not the day with the shortest wait on hold in the phone system, but we still recommend it for its ideal combination of low call volume and short hold times. Plus we believe that California Employment Development Department (EDD) staffs the call center well on Wednesday.
Once again, please put this information in perspective because this phone number has no phone menu or long waits. It generally gets picked up right away if calling during their opening hours. If there is any way, it will typically be very short.

Calling this California Employment Development Department (EDD) Customer Number

Oct 31, 2023

When calling California’s Employment Development Department’s customer service line, you’re directed to the Taxpayer Assistance Center, which addresses issues related to tax services, paid family leave, disability/unemployment insurance and employer account details. However, expect to experience a long wait and receive a lot of information all at once. An automated system directs you to press 1 for English or 2 for Spanish and follows with a brief update about a recent Senate Bill 951, which is related to taxable wages and withholdings. There is no way to bypass this message.

The automated system continues with a notice stating that tax representatives cannot assist customers with unemployment or disability claim questions and instead directs callers to visit the website for guidance. I thought this was a helpful piece of information so callers know right away whether they need to stay on the phone for other services or go online. In addition, the automated system reminds callers that they can file for disability benefits online or by calling another number. However, for some callers wishing to speak with a representative, this might be frustrating.

I remained on the phone call and was offered a menu of options ranging from help accessing employer tax statements to gathering information about unemployment/disability insurance. You can also find details about which tax documents you may need to file and/or request from your employer. If you miss the choice, the menu automatically repeats until you choose a number. There appears to be no selection for direct access to a customer service representative.

After 15 minutes on the phone, I listened to a recording about unemployment/disability insurance and how to access the necessary documents on the website. I was told that the fastest way to file a claim and set up an account is on the website, as I was not given an option over the phone to do either of these. The department has been working toward making the website more user-friendly and secure to ensure customers can benefit from all the services the state department provides.

While the website contains everything needed for these services with clear instructions on how to proceed with your specific request, those customers attempting a phone call will need to exercise some patience. Recorded messages are wordy, and it’s easy to miss something vital. It’s also ideal to know exactly what you need when calling; otherwise, expect to spend a lot of time on the phone hopping from recorded message to recorded message. I found this ineffective use of my time and am grateful for the repeated reminders to go to their website. I did not see an option to contact anyone via email. However, you can follow the Employment Development Department on social media platforms and perhaps even interact with a representative there. 

Christian has been writing about long hold times and customer service call center experiences since 2010. He's been featured in Bloomberg, the Wall Street Journal and the Boston Globe.

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