Alabama
https://www.wtvy.com/content/news/49-of-unemployment-claims-paid-ADOL-working-to-speed-up-processing-569924071.html
49% of unemployment claims paid, ADOL working to speed-up processing. Tens of thousands of Alabamians have lost their jobs because of the coronavirus crisis, leading to more applications for unemployment benefits in one month than in all last year. As of Wednesday evening, half of those people have received their checks.
I understand the other half who have not gotten paid are not going to be happy with that statistic, said Tara Hutchison, Communications Director, Alabama Department of Labor (ADOL). That statistic is an increase from Monday, when ADOL Secretary Fitzgerald Washington said only 40% of claims had been processed and paid.
Hawaii
https://www.staradvertiser.com/2020/04/25/editorial/our-view/editorial-unemployed-pay-the-price-for-hawaiis-failure-to-upgrade-it/
In a staggering plunge from best in the nation to worst, Hawaiis once-vaunted joblessness rate of about 2.1% has now hit 37%. Yes, 1 out of 3 Hawaii workers is now out of work many temporarily as the coronavirus shutdown persists, but many others, permanently. This collective pain of unemployment has been exacerbated by the states woefully antiquated computer system that has buckled badly under the weight of some 250,000 jobless claims since March 1.
State Labor Director Scott Murakami inherited the archaic system, and is struggling to cobble together solutions. But the past weeks have revealed more fits than starts, as evidenced by the many desperate stories of people still waiting for their unemployment checks a month after filing.
Florida
https://www.wtsp.com/article/news/health/coronavirus/coronavirus-in-florida-april-25-2020/67-e23c8038-7d62-4923-b1dc-1aad9f1003d2
For Floridians whove struggled to file unemployment claims, the state website had an unwelcome message Friday morning:
[The website] CONNECT is currently processing payments. We apologize for the inconvenience. CONNECT will be available at 8:00 a.m Monday, April 27.
The website has been a highly publicized disaster since newly unemployed Floridians began flooding the filing portal in March. Some have spent as many hours trying to log into the system they have missed on the job. More than 1.7 million claims have been filed since March 15, and just 108,000 claims have been paid under 16 percent.
Gov. Ron DeSantis has called the system cumbersome and the states initial response unacceptable. He made several public efforts to increase server capacity and improve the systems functionality, which at times has required the system to be shut down overnight. But system shutdowns have increased frustration and the backlog of people struggling to file claims.
Wisconsin
https://www.nbc15.com/content/news/DWD-secretary-addresses-backlog-everyone-is-going-to-get-every-dollar-they-are-entitled-to-569935161.html
Since the beginning of March, DWD has received about 462,000 new initial claims, according to Frostman. Its call center received around 6 million calls last week, averaging about a million or more per day. Frostman said, when it comes to how long it will take benefits, it varies based on the type of claim. He said if people apply through the online portal accurately and there are no outstanding questions, things can be settled within two or three days. But with the backlog, that is not the case for many people.
Pennsylvania
https://gantdaily.com/2020/04/24/unresponsive-unreachable-unemployment-office-infuriates-pennsylvania-residents/
[S]ix weeks after Pennsylvania shuttered its economy amid the coronavirus pandemic, hundreds of thousands of state residents continue to struggle to collect unemployment compensation benefits. Legions of workers who have been laid off or furloughed say it remains impossible to reach the states unemployment compensation office: The phone lines are forever busy, the online services crash under the weight of demand and email communications with the system is unresponsive.
The level of frustration and anger among residents who have reached out to PennLive desperate for assistance or answers from state officials is palpable, particularly after state officials this week held a press conference vowing that response times have improved and that the backlog for pins had been resolved. It did leave me with some unanswered questions and concerns about what Labor & Industry officials are telling Pennsylvanians, said Jeremy Jordan, who has been trying to call the unemployment compensation office at the Department of Labor & Industry since April 13. He has had no success.
When you call the phone number that is plastered all over the unemployment compensation website all you get is a busy signal, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. said Jordan, an auto sales representative from Hummelstown. A busy signal for over a week straight, so how exactly are they improving their response time to phone calls if no Pennsylvanian can call them? Jordan emailed the unemployment compensation office on April 16 and was informed that the average response time was 17 days.
Im just trying to stay positive, said Angelita Wynn, who has tracked the number of calls she has placed to the unemployment compensation office. As of Thursday morning, Wynn had logged 760 calls.
Jordans experience is similar. Jordan said. Now I get on the unemployment compensation website this morning and the average response time is now 21 calendar days!
How will all of the PPP relief money affect these unemployment payments??
Hire the Americans that have been laid off, Fire current workers who cannot to it right.
What could go wrong??
Yes, lets give unvetted folks all of our B/D, SS Number address etc.
What could go wrong?