Even with added staff and some upgraded technology, Department of Labor and Industry officials acknowledge there is still a lag in response.
Labor Secretary Jerry Oleksiak reiterated that they are trying to train new-hires as quickly as possible, but the unemployment system can be daunting.
“We’ve made progress, we continue to make progress. We have staffing plans we are putting into effect,” he said. “(It) is a complicated system and it takes a little while to learn the intricacies of that system and to be ready to answer claimants’ questions.”
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Still, state labor officials said during a weekly press call that on average, workers answer about 21,000 calls a week, and their email response is delayed up to 25 days.
One of the biggest issues they constantly address is personal identification numbers. Labor Policy Director Susan Dickinson said if you haven’t received a PIN and you filed more than three weeks ago, there’s likely a problem.
“If anyone does not have a PIN at this time, it’s something specific on their claim. It’s not because of any across-the-board backlog,” she explained. “It probably is something specific … for example, their identity hasn’t been verified yet,” or the wrong address is in the system.
Officials say the best way to get in touch with the unemployment office may be by live chat on its website, which is available daily from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.
“We know there are people feeling discouraged, they are in great need. We feel that frustration as well,” added Oleksiak. “We want to get them their benefits. It matters to us.”
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