State unemployment claims reach tens of thousands

Wisconsin Workforce Development Secretary Caleb Frostman says tens of thousands of unemployment insurance claims are pouring in daily.

ADRIENNE: WELCOME BACK.THE FIRST HARD NUMBERS ON JOBLOSSES IN THE CORONAVIRUSOUTBREAK HAVE COME OUT, AND THEYARE STAGGERING.NATIONALLY, NEARLY 3.3 MILLIAMERICANS FILED FOR UNEMPLOYMENTBENEFITS LAST WEEK.THAT FIGURE SET A RECORD ANDIT’S A NUMBER THAT SHOCKED EVENTHE EXPERTS.IN WISCONSIN, THE DEPARTMENT OFWORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT HASRECEIVED LAY OFF NOTICES FROMRESTAURANTS, HOTELS, SERVICECOMPANIES AND OTHERS.WISCONSIN RESIDENTS NOW OUT OFWORK DUE TO THE OUTBREAK ALSOHAVE STARTED TO FILE FORUNEMPLOYMENT BENEFITS.WE’RE TALKING NOW WITHDEPARTMENT OF WORKFORCDEVELOPMENT SECRETARY CALEBFROSTMAN IN MADISOTHANK YOU FOR JOINING US.I KNOW YOU ARE BU CONSIDERINGWE’VE SEEN MASSIVE NUMBERS OFPEOPLE FILING FOR UNEMPLOYMENTINSURANCE EVERY DAY IN THESTATE.ABOUT 20,000 PEOPLE A DAY THISLAST WEEK.TO PUT THAT IN PERSPECTIVE, ITHINK YOU ARE USED TO SEEINGMAYBE 1000, IF THAT, A DAY.THESE ARE PRELIMINARY NUMBERS,SO HOW MUCH WORSE DO YOU EXPECTTHE PICTURE TO GET?SEC.

FROSTMAN: GREAT QUESTION.WE HAVE BEEN WATCHING THISCLOSELY.TWO WEEK AGO ON SUNDAY, 12 OR13 DAYS AGO, THE CLAIMS WERE1500 INITIAL CLAIMS AND THISWEEK WE HAVE CLOSER TO 20,000.MONDAY WAS OUR PEAK AS FAR AS21,000 INITIAL CLAIMS.WE HAD 19,000 ON TUESDAY ANDWEDNESDAY, AND THURSDAY, SOPERHAPS WE LEVELED OFF.BUT THAT SUSTAINED AMOUNT OFINITIAL CLAIMS IS A SERIOUSAMOUNT OF FOLKS FILING FORUNEMPLOYMENT.ADRIENNE: WHEN I CHECKED THEWEBSITE, IT REITERATED THESE AREPRELIMINARY NUMBERS.DO YOU THINK THERE ARE MOREPEOPLE AND IT HAS NOT ADDED UPYET?SEC.

FROSTMAN: I THINK OURNUMBERS WILL STAY CLOSE TO WHERETHEY ARE AT.HOWEVER, AS WE GET BACKLOGCLEARED, SOME NUMBERS MIGHTINCREASE.WE ARE GRATEFUL FOLKS AREAPPLYING ONLINE AND THAT IS WHATWE ADVISE PEOPLE TO DO.APPLY TO THE WEBSITE.99% ARE COMING THROUGH ONLINE OFTHE CLAIMS.THERE IS A CHANGE THEY MAY MOVEA LITTLE BIT.ADRIENNE: WE HAVE BEEN GETTING ALOT OF CALLS AND EMAILS WITHPEOPLE WHO CANNOT GET THROUGH IFTHEY TRY TO CALL.MAYBE THEY CANNOT DO IT ONLINEAND THEY ARE ON HOLD FOR HOURSOR A BUSY SIGNAL, SO ARE YOUMAKING EXCEPTIONS FOR PEOPLE WHOARE LATE IN FILING OR ANYEXTENSIONS?SEC.

FROSTMAN: SURE.SOME OF THE THINGS WE’VE DONE TOIMPROVE THE INFRASTRUCTURE OFTHE UI INFRASTRUCTURE ISALLOWING PEOPLE TO BACK LOGTHEIR CLAIMS BY TWO WEEKS AS AGOOD BUSINESS PRACTICE, BUT WEARE MAKING SURE THAT FOLKS AREABLE TO BE SERVICED.WE HAVE BEEN MOVING STUFF AROUNDWITHIN AGENCIES AND MAKING SUREOUR CALL CENTER IS STAFFED.WE DOUBLED OUR I.T.INFRASTRUCTURE TO TAKE DOUBLECALLS THAN WHAT WE DID EARLIERTHIS WEEK, SO WE ARE MAKINGSERIOUS IMPROVEMENTS ANDINNOVATIONS TO HANDLE THE CALLCAPACITY COMIN IN.IN 15 MINUTES ON MONDAY MORNING,WE HAD 19,000 CALLS, SO THE CALLVOLUME IS IMMENSE.WE ENCOURAGE FOLKS TO STARTONLINE.WE HAVE REALLY GOOD ANSWERS ANDFREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS TOHELP THEM APPLY ONLINE.YESTERDAY WE UPDATED A NEW "HOTO" VIDEO ON OUR WEBSITE TO WALKTHEM THROUGH THE PROCESS.ADRIENNE: AND THERE ARECOMPANIES HIRING RIGHT NOW THATNEED PEOPLE TO WORWHAT ARE YOU SEEING THERE?SEC.

FROSTMAN: IT ISINTERESTINWE HAVE BEEN TALKING WITH FOLKSINQUIRING ABOUT UNEMPLOYMENTINSURANCE AND ONE OF THE AWKWARDPIECES OF ADVICE WE HAVE BEENGIVING IS IF A MAXIMUM OF $370A WEEK IS NOT ENOUGH, THERE AEMPLOYERS OUT THERE DEEMEDESSENTIAL AND THEY’RE LOOKINGFOR WORKERS.WE RECENTLY HAVE BEEN ABLE TOHIGHLIGHT SOME OF THOSEOPPORTUNITIES AT OUR JOB CENTERWISCONSIN WEBSITE TO HELP SOMEOF THOSE FOLKS FINDOPPORTUNITIES IN THE CURRENTENVIRONMENT IF IT IS NOT ENOUGHTO MAKE ENDS MEET.THERE ARE OPPORTUNITIES OUTTHERE AND HOPEFULLY THEY CANPRACTICE SOCIAL DISTANCING ANDREMAIN STRONG AS FAR AS PUBLICHEALTH AND SAFETY.ADRIENNE: I SAW ON YOUR WEBSITE,THE DEPARTMENT OF WORKFORCEDEVELOPMENT, THAT YOU AREHIRING.HOW WILL THE FEDERAL STIMULUSBILL AFFECT UNEMPLOYMENTINSURANCE, IF AT ALL?SEC.

FROSTMAN: WE HAVE GREATPEOPLE, SMART FOLKS SIFTINGTHROUGH THAT TO MAKE SURE WEUNDERSTAND THE INS AND OUTS.HOPEFULLY, FOR OUR CALL CENTER,FOR OUR I.T.

NEEDS AND STAFFING,WE HAVE BEEN REAL ALLOCATING --WE HAVE BEEN REALLOCATIN FOLKSIN THE ADMINISTRATION WHO MIGHTBE ABLE TO HELP AND WE WILLLIKELY HIRE MORE FOLKS TO HELPSERVICE ALL OF THE PHONE CALLSCOMING THROUGH AS THEY REMAIN AT20,000 A DAY AND WE ARE LOOKINGFOR ADDITIONAL HELP.WE ARE LOOKING AT THAT PACKAGETO PERHAPS PROVIDE RELIEF FOROUR ADMINISTRATION PURPOSES ANDPROVIDE GREATER RELIEF FOR SMALLBUSINESSES AND FOLKS DISLOCATEDAND WISCONSIN IN GENERAL.ADRIENNE: THANK YOU.SEC.

FROSTMAN: HAVE A GREAT DAY.ADRIENNE: COMING UP NEXT, THEPANDEMIC’S TOLL ON THERESTAURANT INDUSTRY.I’LL ASK THE WISCONSIN FOODIECREATOR HOW YOU CAN HELP YOURFAVORITE RESTAURANTS SURVI