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State adding resources to overwhelmed unemployment system

Posted at 7:16 PM, Apr 14, 2020
and last updated 2020-04-14 19:16:39-04

The state of Michigan is once again trying to fix its overwhelmed unemployment system after users said they had nothing but problems with the website.

The only way to apply for benefits is on the phone or online with unemployment offices closed statewide.

According to many who are trying to use it, the phone lines are constantly busy and the website keeps crashing.

The Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity said it is adding infrastructure to help avoid system failures.

On Monday, the unemployment, Secretary of State and Department of Health and Human Services sites went down.

Tuesday, there were more servers in place to help handle the extra load.

The Unemployment Insurance Agency added a couple of hundred call takers from other departments across state government.

Hundreds more are also in the process of being hired.

"If you would've had this kind of capacity prior to the emergency, you would've been criticized for government waste. There is likely a lot we can do to upgrade our technology to make sure we are modernized," said Jeff Donofrio, Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity Director.

The Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity said it is also expanding the call center hours.

It said there are even dedicated call takers who handle only IT related questions, like forgotten passwords of people locked out of their account.

The Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Development encourages people to use off-peak times 8 p.m. – 8 a.m. to file their claim.

It also encourages people to file a claim based on the following schedule:

Last names beginning with letters A-L: file claims on Mondays, Wednesday, Fridays.

Last names beginning with letters M-Z: file claims on Sundays, Tuesdays, or Thursdays.

Saturdays will be available for anyone to accommodate those who could not file during their allotted window.

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