NJ Unemployment Claims Hit 1M; Delays Persist

TRENTON, NJ — As New Jersey's unemployment claims passed the 1 million mark, state officials say they are continuing to push through a backlog of claims and get money to residents who have been left without income during the coronavirus crisis.

While 700,000 residents have received benefits, there are still thousands lagging in the system whose claims still must be addressed, and Gov. Phil Murphy and Labor Commissioner Robert Asaro-Angelo say efforts to do that are continuing.

But for residents still waiting for unemployment payments weeks after Murphy ordered nonessential businesses to close to try to slow the spread of the coronavirus, the statements at Thursday's coronavirus briefing were seen as little more than platitudes.

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Asaro-Angelo said the department has paid out $1.9 billion in claims so far. Those who are self-employed, independent contractors or gig workers began getting processed under the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance program last week, he said, with 72,000 receiving payments. Those workers make up the bulk of the backlogged claims.

Read more: NJ Coronavirus Updates: Here's What You Need To Know

People whose unemployment benefits had run out and who are eligible for the 13-week federal extension approved under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act will have to wait a bit longer; those claims will be processed starting May 18, the Labor Department said. Information on those benefits is on the department's website.

"This is a joke," one woman wrote on the Department of Labor Facebook page, in response to a statement from Asaro-Angelo about the efforts. "I am convinced there is no one to answer calls."

"I fax I email I regular mail and I claim and I get nadda," she wrote. "We are all fed up!"

The anger has prompted Assemblyman Kevin Rooney from Bergen County to demand the Asaro-Angelo resign if it's not fixed soon.

"Residents have been waiting two months for their unemployment checks, they can't wait another 30 days," Rooney said, referring to Murphy's extension of the public health emergency declaration for another month. "I have heard complaints for weeks from frustrated constituents about delays, backlogs and a generally unresponsive unemployment system."

"We need to fix the system now or start opening our state," he said. "I am calling for the replacement of the DOL commissioner after weeks-long unemployment backlog. I am calling on Labor Commissioner Robert Asaro-Angelo to resign if he can’t fix the unemployment backlog."

For weeks people have shared stories of frustration with the system, which has left people without money to even buy food. Some residents shared their complaints on Wednesday's Ask the Governor show, Murphy said Thursday.

"This is not something that's abstract," Murphy said, adding that he sees the desperation people are feeling. But he said there was "no blanket answer" about the delays that have happened.

Asaro-Angelo said the department has taken a number of steps, including shifting other state workers over to help with the crush of phone calls. In addition, retired unemployment department employees are coming out of retirement to help, and the Labor Department is hiring 130 new employees to bolster the staff. Employees are working overtime on nights and weekends, trying to get through the claims.

A call center is in the works, though Asaro-Angelo did not have a timetable on when it might be up and running, as the bid process just closed. He did not have an estimate on how many people might be working at the call center.

While Rooney made a comparison to the aftermath of Superstorm Sandy in his comments, Asaro-Angelo said it was not an accurate comparison.

"The most new claims the department had in a week after Sandy was 45,000," he said. During the coronavirus crisis, the state has averaged 155,000 per week. Read more: NJ Coronavirus Updates: Here's What You Need To Know

In addition to employees working nights and weekends, Asaro-Angelo said a programming rewrite pushed through 60 percent of the claims that previously would have required a review. That resulted in about 270,000 claims getting moved along.

Where hang-ups continue is the individual problems that take conversations to solve. They run the gamut from mistakes entering claims to instances where employers aren't filing wage information on employees, which he called "troublesome."

The other issue is people answering certification questions wrong.

"More than 4,000 (people) a week enter incorrect information," during the certification process, he said, which includes federally mandated questions about whether someone has sought work during the prior week, and other items. The department has posted a step-by-step guide to answering the certifying questions on the website here.

"When there's a mistake (in the claiming process) it jams you up and it jams us up," he said.

Because of the sheer volume of the claims, the number of people with those individualized issues is magnified, Asaro-Angelo said.

He said one issue jamming phone lines is people calling with general questions that can be answered in information found right on the labor department's website. A chat bot, where website users can ask general questions, it expected to be launched shortly to help provide that general information.

"You can't get specific answers on your claim," he said, but for people calling for information about various programs, the chat bot should help them find the answers they're seeking, freeing up the phone lines for people who need claims processed.

Asaro-Angelo said the newest applicants — for the week ending May 2, initial unemployment claims were 88,326 — are among the those that have not yet been processed. Under normal conditions, a new claim takes an average of three weeks to get processed, he said.

"Thousands of workers in our department have not stopped working to make sure you get the money you need," he said. "We know how important this mission is."

The weekly totals of new unemployment claims since the virus hit are as follows:

• March 15-21: 155,815
• March 22-28: 206,253
• March 29-April 4: 214,836
• April 5-11: 141,420
• April 12-18: 140,139
• April 19-25: 71,996
• April 26-May 2: 88,326

In the seven weeks since the coronavirus hit New Jersey in mid-March, 1,018,785 unemployment claims have been filed, by far the most ever recorded for a similar period.

"Our process is one we are required to follow to protect claimants, prevent fraud, protect the trust fund’s solvency and safeguard New Jersey businesses," he said.

People collecting unemployment are also receiving a $600 supplemental weekly benefit through the end of July. Those payments arrive separately, after the regular unemployment payment. A separate application is not required.

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