State unemployment system update to make process easier
Written by Site Hub on May 12, 2020
On Monday, May 11, the New York Department of Labor plans to update its unemployment system to provide more details to filers who are currently having difficulty understanding the status of their applications. The system will outline specific steps, such as actions that a filer needs to take and details about the process. It will also provide email and text message updates.
The current system hasn’t been able to keep up with millions of unemployment claims. Many workers have received a vague “pending” application status message that lasts for weeks.
According to Roberta Reardon, the Department of Labor’s Commissioner, these problems stem from a combination of outdated technology and overwhelming applicant numbers. The system typically experiences a mere 300,000 requests a year and pays out $2.1 billion. Yet, in seven weeks, the system suddenly had to deal with 1.6 million requests and $6.8 billion in payouts. Delays have been caused primarily by an increase in technology updates and call center hiring processes to deal with the surge and unemployed workers mistakenly filing more than once.
Reardon notes that the update provides more information to filers: “The system we have sees applications in binary terms – an application is ‘pending’ until it’s processed. So we’ve worked within that system to figure out what milestones we can identify right now and communicate them as an application reaches those points.”
“Information is power,” Reardon further explained. “When you at least know what step you are on and what comes next, you can better plan for the days ahead.”
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