Unemploy Problems

New numbers this week show that roughly 6.6 million people in the U.S. have filed for unemployment during the coronavirus outbreak.

Many of those are here in our viewing area.

New numbers this week show that roughly 6 point 6 million people in the u-s have filed for unemployment during the coronavirus outbreak.

Many of those are here in our viewing area.

Many of áthemá are having a hard time filing for unemployment benefits.

Our quentin smith met a man who's currently facing this problem..

He joins us live from outside of the golden triangle win job center// so quentin... he recently called over a hundred times in one day?

That's right audrea... charlie mccarter says he called 150 times to be exact.... and there have also been instances where he's called and stayed on the phone for over an hour..and still didn't get anywhere.

Mccarter has been laid off for a week now... and he's trying to receive unemployment benefits to get through this tough time... he's called, sent emails, but hasn't gotten anywhere..

Now he's frustrated doesn't know what else to do... nat charlie mccarter spends each morning calling different numbers trying to get unemployment benefits..

But more times than not he ends up waiting.... and waiting..

And waiting... either getting nowhere or receiving messages like this... nat "it's been kind of frustrating because of the fact that they don't have anybody answering the phones.

The phones are always busy, the numbers they give you are disconnected or there's nobody answering."

This call log shows the more than 50 times mccarter spent trying to speak with a representative... mccarter went to the win job center in mayhew where flyers like these saying they're experiencing a high volume of calls are posted everywhere..

The flyers do give additional numbers to contact.... numbers mccarter says still leads to nowhere... "the number that does work, they have employees that answer the phone, but they're pretty much telling you what you already know, the contact numbers that you can call to try and see if you can get in contact with somebody, and that's pretty much it."

The starkville native says he first filed for unemployment nearly 20 years ago and needs access retrieving his account..

However, when he calls.... workers tell him they're teleworking from home and don't have their computer to access his information... "they say i would have to talk to somebody, but it's nobody answering the phone to get to the next step."

And just like that, mccarter says he's back at square one..

"i really think they should've really thought this situation out first.

I don't know how the president said we are going to do a shutdown, and to go file unemployment, but you send everybody home at unemployment, it doesn't make since.

Why would you do that and you know that's what everybody is going to and that's what everybody is depending on."

After being laid off, he just like many others are depending on unemployment to help them stay afloat... in the meantime..

Mccarter says he's going to remain hopeful that the right person will soon be on the other end of his call... leading him in the right direction..

"i really think this is something they should be getting on right away and looking into and seeing what's going on, and trying to get as many more people into the call center to help out, i'm assuming that's the issue."

You may remember..

Last week we reported on others who are also having similar difficulties while trying to file for unemployment benefits..

We reached out to the governor's office to see what's the issue and if anything is being done... we're still waiting to hear back from them... reporting live in mayhew..

Quentin smith... wcbi news... stinger