Some unemployed workers have reached out to NBC 26 about their frustrations as they try to file for unemployment benefits.
Some said they had to call the Department of Workforce Development but couldn't get through to talk with anyone.
THOUSANDS OFPEOPLE ACROSS THESTATE ARE FILING FORUNEMPLOYMENTBENEFITS.ACCORDING TO THESTATE... MOR THAN14-THOUSANDAPPLIED YESTERDA.FOR THIS MONTH, THENUMBER STANDS ATMORE THAN 130-THOUSAND.IN THE LAST MONTH,MORE THAN 370-THOUSAND.DURING THE SAMETIME IN 2019 22-THOUSAND FILED FORUNEMPLOYMENT.LOCAL EXPERTSTELL NBC 26'SJULIANA FALK THATPEOPLE WHO AREFILING NOW SHOULDSTAY PATIENT.TENSIONS ANDSTRESS ARE HIGHRIGHT NOW... AS WEFACE ANOTHER WEEKOF THE PANDEMIC.MANY PEOPLESPENDING THESEDAYS FILINGUNEMPLOYMENTCLAIMS."THE WISCONSINDEPARTMENT OFWORKFORCEDEVELOPMENT HAS ASYSTEM THAT WAS SETUP FORUNEMPLOYMENT INTHE THOUSANDS, NOTIN THE TENS ANDHUDNREDS OFTHOUSANDS."WE TALKED WITHUNEMPLOYEDWORKERS WHO SAYTHEY'VE CALLED THESTATE HUNDREDS OFTIMES IN A DAY...ANDCOULDN'T GETTHROUGH.
I CALLEDTHE DEPARTMENT OFWORKFORCEDEVELOPMENT'SMEDIA LINE AND HAVENOT HEARD BACK."I KNOW THEY AREWORKINGABSOLUSTELY AS HARDAS THEY POSSBILY CANTO TRY AND SERVE ALLTHESE PEOPLE.
THESYSTEM JUST SIMPLYWASN'T SET UP FORTHIS MANY FILERS."ANTHONY SNYDER,THE CEO OF FOXVALLEY WORKFORCEDEVELOPMENTBOARD SAYS TO HISUNDERSTANDING,PEOPLE AREWORKING AROUNDTHE CLOCK TO GETCLAIMS PROCESSED." THE EXPECTATION ISTHAT EVENTUALLY THISBACK LOG WILL KINDOF WORK ITSELF OUTBUT IT'S PROBABLYANOTHER WEEK ORTWO OF JUST ASKINGPEOPLE TO BE PLEASEBE PATIENT."HE SAYS HE'S HEARDMOST PEOPLE HAVEBEEN ABLE TO GETTHROUGH THE ENTIREPROCESS, BUT SOMEMIGHT HAVE TO CALLFOR VALID REASONS."IF IT WERE ME, IWOULD TRY TO CALLSEVERAL TIMES ONEDAY, AND IF I DIDN'TGET THROUGH, IWOULD PROBABLY TRYSEVERAL TIMES THENEXT DAY."HE SAYS IT'S ALSOIMPORTANT PEOPLEARE AWARE OFSCAMS."IF THERE'S ANYONEWHO FOR ANY REASONRUNS ACROSS AWEBSITE OR THEY GETAN EMAIL THAT SAYSFOR SOME AMOUNT OFMONEY I CAN GET YOUINTO THEUNEMPLOYMENTSYSTEM OR ECEN GETYOU IN THE STIMULUSPAYOUT SYSTEM,THAT'S A FRAUD."HE SAYS THE ONLYPERSON ABLE TO FILLOUT UNEMPLOYMENTCLAIMS... IS THEAPPLICANT.IN BROWN COUNTY,JULIANA FALK NBC 26.IF YOU NEED HELP WEHAVE MOREINFORMATION ON OURWEB SITE ... NBC 26DOT COM.ALSO FEELING THEPAI
Thousands of self-employed Kansans continue to wait for unemployment benefits that are slow to roll out due to an outdated computer..
Millions more Americans filed claims for unemployment benefits last week, raising the six-week total to around 30 million. As Fred..
