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Take New Jersey, where 362,000 people have filed for unemployment assistance in the last two weeks.
Labor Commissioner Robert Asaro-Angelo suggests we might see a couple more weeks of six-figure consumer claims for help. He knows how difficult it is for people to file, particularly over the phone.
But there is a promise.
"Everyone's going to get the benefits that they deserve," Asaro-Angelo added. "Anybody that doesn't get it this week, everything is back-dated to the day you filed or the date you were separated from work. That goes for the regular UI payments as well as the additional $600 approved in the CARES Act."
He's referring to the recently signed federal economic stimulus package that promises additional assistance for many Americans thrown out of work.
The phones are staffed during regular business hours Monday through Friday. In South Jersey, call 856-507-2340. You can file anytime online, and weekends are a little less busy.
Either way, Asaro-Angelo recommends visiting the labor department's website to become familiar with the proper documents needed to file a claim, as well as a number of programs that could help in these tough times.