The Employment Security Department (ESD) adjusted the hours of its unemployment benefits call center during the last week of October as part of a 90-day pilot program to address an increasing number of claims.
The call center will be open for its normal hours from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Friday, while there will be reduced hours from 8 a.m. to noon Tuesday and Thursday. Call center employees will have dedicated time from noon to 4 p.m. on Tuesday and Thursday to process claims so that people can be paid sooner.
According to ESD, unemployment rates rise between October and March when seasonal workers are temporarily let go. However, ongoing claims are currently 20 percent higher than the same time last year, due to economic challenges that impact hiring, which is causing claimants to file for benefits for longer than typical, according to ESD.
“Unemployment insurance claims backlog is growing each day as applications continue to increase and customers are using their benefits longer,” ESD spokesperson Meghan Porter wrote in an email to The Northern Light. “With the federal government shutdown and an impending peak season, the agency’s unemployment workload will continue to increase in the coming weeks and months.”
These adjusted hours will increase non-phone work time by about 50 percent and increase the number of customer service representatives on phones by almost 10 percent on Tuesday and Thursday, according to JR Richards, director of ESD’s Insurance Services Division.
Those who want to learn more about applying for benefits can visit esd.wa.gov. Claims can be applied for and status-checked at secure.esd.wa.gov.
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