Thursday, January 8, 2009

Today's Growth Business--Unemployment Claims Processing


It's bad enough to lose your job. But then imagine that the state Unemployment Claims systems nationwide are overwhelmed and can't even process your application for benefits? That's the sorry story, as reported by AP:

Electronic unemployment filing systems have crashed in at least three states in recent days amid an unprecedented crush of thousands of newly jobless Americans seeking benefits, and other states were adjusting their systems to avoid being next.

About 4.5 million Americans are collecting jobless benefits, a 26-year high, so the Web sites and phone systems now commonly used to file for benefits are being tested like never before.

Even those that are holding up under the strain are in many cases leaving filers on the line for hours, or kissing them off with an "all circuits are busy" message. Agencies have been scrambling to hire hundreds more workers to handle the calls.


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