LANSING, Mich. — The Michigan Unemployment Insurance Agency is adding hundreds of staff members and extending business hours to better handle caller demand.
According to officials, unemployment claims are up 4,000% in Michigan in the last two weeks and that's been too much for the system to handle.
People looking to file a claim said they can't get through on the phone system and said the wait times for help are astronomical.
Jason Moon of the Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity said, "A typical week we might have received 500 unemployment claims. Last week alone it was 300,000. We're expecting to see more when the new jobs data comes out tomorrow.
Wednesday, the state announced it's extending hours from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday and will be adding more staff in the coming weeks.
Moon said, "Typically we have 130 [staff members], we're at 300 right now. We'll be at 500 by the end of the week."
Despite there being extra help, the employment office is encouraging people to file their claim online.
Moon said it's because they want to reserve the phone line for anyone who doesn't have access to a computer, smartphone, or the internet or has specific technical problems with their account."
According to Moon, it takes about 20 to 25 minutes to file a claim.
Eligible workers have 28 days to file a claim after losing their job.
Once it's approved it takes about two weeks for workers to receive their money.
Moon said, "The state benefit system is around $325 a week. Now under the federal CARES Act every eligible worker will receive an additional $600 a week and that's good for about four months."
The state said the best time to file a claim is between 8 p.m. and 8 a.m. when the site isn't busy.
Want to see more local news ? Visit the FOX47News Website.
Stay in touch with us anytime, anywhere.
Download our free app for Appleand Android
and
Sign up for newsletters emailed to your inbox.
Select from these options: Breaking News, Severe Weather, School Closings, Daily Headlines and Daily Forecasts.
