NYS Unemployment
NYS Unemployment, Swamped by a post-holiday surge of claims from laid-off workers, New York State’s computerized unemployment insurance system shut down briefly Monday afternoon and then again for several hours on Tuesday, according to the state Department of Labor.
The system, which serves as the gateway to unemployment benefits for New York residents, could not handle the volume of calls and online inquiries it was receiving, said Leo Rosales, a spokesman for the department. As many as 10,000 people an hour tried to log into the system to file new unemployment claims or to check on existing claims, Mr. Rosales said.
“It is really unprecedented, the number of calls we’re getting per hour,” Mr. Rosales said. He attributed the unusually heavy volume to the confluence of “the high unemployment rate, the time of the week, the time of the year and the high number of new claims.”
In the week that ended Dec. 26, 30,161 people filed new applications for unemployment benefits, an increase of more than 32 percent over the same week in 2007. The number of first-time claims has averaged more than 30,000 per week for the last few weeks.
Though it remains lower than the nation’s, the state’s unemployment rate rose to 6.1 percent in November from 5.7 percent in October. New York City’s unemployment rate rose to 6.3 percent in November, from 5.7 percent in October. Economists expect unemployment to continue rising, possibly at an accelerated rate, in early 2009.
“I think a lot of employers tried to keep people on the payrolls through the end of the year, but the sense was that there was going to be a surge in layoffs come the first of the year,” said James A. Parrott, chief economist for the Fiscal Policy Institute, a research group that advocates on behalf of low-wage workers. “That’s probably what’s hitting the claims system right now.”
The demands on the state-administered unemployment insurance program have been building for several weeks and increased after an emergency extension of benefits in November as more people called to inquire about their eligibility, Mr. Rosales said. That seven-week extension followed a 13-week extension earlier in the year. All told, workers who were eligible for both extensions could collect unemployment checks for a maximum of 46 weeks.
In early December, the state Labor Department doubled its staff of representatives who field calls about unemployment benefits and extended their working hours in response to growing wait times on the phone lines, Mr. Rosales said.
“We’ve been experiencing high call volumes for several months,” Mr. Rosales said. “There was a long wait time for callers. We had a lot of complaints. People were upset.”
Mr. Rosales said that the system was repaired around midday on Tuesday, and that anyone seeking to file a claim for benefits has until Sunday to apply in time to receive a check next week.
Unemployed New Yorkers must apply for benefits either online or over the phone, but some frustrated claimants have been showing up at employment offices, whose purpose is to provide guidance on finding work. The state began phasing out unemployment offices several years ago and has not allowed in-person applications since 2005.
Several people interviewed at an employment center on in Harlem reported that the system has had technical problems for some time. Joe Ruiz said he went to the Workforce1 Career Center on West 125th Street to use a computer to apply for benefits online after he was dismissed from a job in a restaurant kitchen last month. But after the machine crashed repeatedly, he said, he went to a friend’s apartment and eventually got through on the telephone.
On Tuesday afternoon, in his third week of collecting benefits, Mr. Ruiz, 40, was back at the employment office to talk with a counselor.
“I’m applying for a lot of jobs, so hopefully I won’t need benefits for too long,” Mr. Ruiz said. “It’s not a lot of money, but it helps.”
Mathew R. Warren contributed reporting.
NYS Unemployment was first posted on October 4, 2009 at 8:02 pm.
NYS Unemployment NY Unemployment benefits
Lates news updates about NYS Unemployment NY Unemployment benefits, nys department of labor, nysdol, ny unemployment benefits, nys unemployment benefits, nys unemployment insurance:-
New York state unemployment NYS unemployment NYS dept of labor. Governor Paterson announced today that New York State will receive approximately $4.5 million in federal grant funds for 2009 under the national Reemployment and Eligibility Assessment (REA) initiative of the US Department of Labor. The REA initiative is designed to help people receiving unemployment insurance get back to work faster by providing them with individualized job search and training services. The money comes from federal funds that support the administration of unemployment insurance. “Because of the economic turmoil New York has faced during the past 18 months, I have made it a priority that we do everything within our power to protect the most vulnerable New Yorkers, including the unemployed. These grants demonstrate that the federal government has recognized and rewarded those efforts,” said Governor Paterson. “New York was one of the first states to try this individualized approach to helping the unemployed get back to work faster, and we are thrilled to have an opportunity to expand this promising program. I want to thank President Obama and Secretary Solis for providing funding that will allow us to serve more workers through this program.”
REA grant funds support additional One-Stop Career Center staff who work one-on-one with individuals receiving unemployment insurance. Staff will help workers determine what job hunting and training services they need, and then develop a job search plan customized to each person’s needs. Additionally, information on the local labor market is used to help focus the individual’s job search. Staff will continue to follow-up with each worker throughout the job search process, until the worker gets a job or exhausts his or her unemployment benefits.
Early results from the REA initiative are promising. For 2008, participants found jobs approximately two weeks faster than those in a control group. Putting New Yorkers back to work more quickly not only benefits participants, but also saves the State money. In 2009, New York could save approximately $10.4 million per year in payments from its Unemployment Insurance Trust fund (based on the current average weekly unemployment insurance benefit rate of almost $316) if program participants find a job one week faster than those who do not participate.
State Labor Commissioner M. Patricia Smith said, “As this recession continues to drag on, we are doing everything we can to help unemployed workers get back to work and support themselves and their families. These grant funds will help us do that.”
Twenty-five states received awards that totaled $26.5 million under the REA initiative. New York is one of nine states receiving grant funds that have previously participated in the program. In 2008, New York received $647,000, which funded a model REA program in one Local Workforce Investment Area. For 2009, New York received more than $4.5 million to continue the model REA program and expand it to eight additional Local Workforce Investment Areas throughout the state.
U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer said: “For years, New York has been a leader in improving the lives of its citizens. This federal funding recognizes our success, and allows us to provide even more support to unemployed New Yorkers during these difficult economic times. I am extremely proud to have worked so hard on behalf of New Yorkers to secure this funding and will continue to fight to ensure New Yorkers are well taken care of.”
U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand said: “This is the right investment for New York. These federal dollars will help workers and families who have been hit the hardest by this economic downturn get back on track. I will continue working with Governor Paterson, Senator Schumer and the entire Congressional Delegation to make sure New York gets its fair share from the federal government to rebuild our economy.”
Congresswoman Yvette Clarke said: “Today, I am pleased to join Governor Paterson in announcing the Re-employment and Eligibility Assessment (REA) initiative. This program provides the citizens of New York access to key federal resources, helping to combat the increase in unemployment that our nation faces. I strongly encourage our local leaders to apply for these grants, providing economic empowerment and job training for Brooklyn residents. I commend the hard work of Secretary Solis and the Obama administration in joining me to specifically address the employment needs of the citizens of Brooklyn, New York.”
Congressman Eric Massa said: “Helping families get back on their feet during this recession is one of my top priorities. We all need to work together to help lower the unemployment rate and that’s exactly what these funds are designed to do. Helping retrain workers is critical in this process and that’s why I’m so proud to help make this announcement today.”
Congressman Paul Tonko said: “This federal grant money is supporting an innovative program that will help improve the employment outcome for New Yorkers. I congratulate Governor Paterson and the New York State Department of Labor for doing everything in their power to help the unemployed get back on their feet.”
Congressman Edolphus “Ed” Towns said: “Reducing our unemployment rate is critical to rebuilding our economy. This grant will provide those most severely affected by the recession personalized access to the tools and guidance necessary to find a job.”
NYS Unemployment NY Unemployment benefits was first posted on October 4, 2009 at 8:03 pm.
