>> THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC HAS LED
% TO LAYOFFS AND FURLOUGHS AS
% BUSINESSES CLOSE OR SEE A DROP
% IN SALES.
% A RECORD NUMBER OF WISCONSIN
% RESIDENTS ARE APPLYING FOR
% UNEMPLOYMENT, CAUSING DELAYS IN
% THE REQUEST TO HIRE MORE STAFF.
% SECRETARY CALEB FROSTMAN HEADS
% THE DEPARTMENT OF WORKFORCE
% DEVELOPMENT AND HE JOINED US
% EARLIER.
% SECRETARY, THANKS VERY MUCH FOR
% TALKING WITH US ABOUT THIS.
% >> YOU BET, FREDERICA.
% THANKS FOR HAVING ME.
% >> NOW, ONE IMPORTANT THING
% UNEMPLOYMENT CLAIMANTS SHOULD
% KNOW RIGHT NOW IS THAT THE EXTRA
% $600 A WEEK STARTED THIS WEEK.
% DESCRIBE HOW THAT WORKS FOR
% PEOPLE GETTING UNEMPLOYMENT
% BENEFITS.
% >> SURE.
% FOR ANYONE RECEIVING EVEN $1 IN
% UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE OR
% PANDEMIC UNEMPLOYMENT
% ASSISTANCE, THEY ARE ELIGIBLE
% FOR WHAT'S CALLED FEDERAL
% PANDEMIC UNEMPLOYMENT
% COMPENSATION AND THAT'S $600 A
% WEEK THAT WILL SHOW UP THE SAME
% WAY YOU GET YOUR UI PAYMENTS, SO
% NO OTHER STEPS ARE NEEDED,
% BACKDATED TO EARLY APRIL.
% FOLKS HAVE ALREADY SEEN SOME OF
% THOSE BACK PAYMENTS AND IT WILL
% CONTINUE GOING FORWARD THROUGH
% THE REST OF THIS PANDEMIC,
% THROUGH THE END OF JULY.
% >> OKAY.
% SO IF A PERSON IS ELIGIBLE FOR
% UNEMPLOYMENT, SAY AS OF THIS
% WEEK, BUT DOESN'T END UP GETTING
% IT JUST YET, IS THAT $600 AS YOU
% WERE SAYING RETROACTIVE?
% >> IT IS.
% SO IT'S RETROACTIVE TO THE
% PASSAGE OF THE CARES ACT, WHICH
% WILL BACKDATE IT TO EARLY APRIL.
% FOLKS HAVE RECEIVED MULTIPLE
% WEEKS OF PAYMENTS HERE, WHICH
% HAS BEEN A SIGNIFICANT SUM FOR
% THOSE FAMILIES WAITING FOR THOSE
% DOLLARS.
% >> WHAT DO THE NUMBERS LOOK LIKE
% RIGHT NOW?
% HOW MANY PEOPLE HAVE FILED DUE
% TO JOB LOSS BECAUSE OF COVID-19?
% >> SURE.
% SO WE'VE HAD OVER 400,000 PEOPLE
% APPLY FOR UNEMPLOYMENT, AT LEAST
% CHECKING THE BOX THAT IT'S DUE
% TO COVID-19, AND A METRIC WE
% LOOK AT CLOSELY.
% THE WEEKLY CLAIMS THAT WERE
% FILED BEFORE COVID-19 WERE
% AROUND 25,000.
% THE WEEK ENDING LAST SATURDAY
% WAS OVER 340,000, SO IT'S BEEN A
% REALLY RAPID INCREASE OVER THE
% COURSE OF THE LAST SIX WEEKS.
% >> DESCRIBE HOW THIS OVERWHELMED
% YOUR AGENCY.
% >> SURE.
% WELL, I THINK, YOU KNOW, THE BIG
% PIECE THAT MOST FOLKS HAVE
% PROBABLY SEEN IN THE PUBLIC AND
% IF THEY HAVE INTERACTED WITH OUR
% SYSTEM, OUR CALL CENTER HAS BEEN
% OVERWHELMED.
% WE'VE MADE SOME SIGNIFICANT
% IMPROVEMENTS.
% THERE ARE A LOT OF PEOPLE
% INTERACTING WITH THE
% UNEMPLOYMENT SYSTEM FOR THE
% FIRST TIME IN THEIR LIVES.
% WE'VE VERY HARD TO MAKE SURE OUR
% WEBSITE IS FRIENDLY AND WE HAVE
% FAQs FOR CLAIMANTS.
% JUST THE VOLUME OF CLAIMS IN ANY
% ECONOMY, A NUMBER OF CLAIMS NEED
% TO BE ADJUDICATED TO DETERMINE
% ELIGIBILITY AND SO WE'RE SEEING
% VOLUMES LIKE 400,000 NEW
% CLAIMANTS.
% EVEN IF THAT PERCENTAGE STAYS
% THE SAME AND IS LIKELY GONE UP
% BECAUSE OF THE NEW FOLKS, THAT'S
% A SIGNIFICANT BACKLOG FOR US AS
% WELL, TRYING TO DETERMINE
% ELIGIBILITY FOR CLAIMANTS HERE
% IN THE STATE.
% >> WHAT IS THE BEST WAY FOR
% PEOPLE TO APPLY?
% HOW CAN THEY HOPE TO KIND OF
% SPEED UP THIS PROCESS OR CUT
% THROUGH, YOU KNOW, ALL OF THESE
% OTHER PEOPLE WHO ARE OUT THERE
% TRYING TO APPLY AND YOUR STAFF
% AND PEOPLE YOU'VE HIRED UP
% TRYING TO HELP THEM?
% WHAT'S THE BEST WAY FOR PEOPLE
% TO APPLY AND GET UNEMPLOYMENT
% BENEFITS?
% >> SURE.
% THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION.
% I'M REALLY GLAD YOU'VE ASKED IT.
% ANYTIME I GET A CHANCE TO BE ON
% A TELECONFERENCE OR INTERVIEW ON
% TV I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT I
% REALLY EMPHASIZE THE IMPORTANCE
% OF APPLYING ONLINE.
% SO FOLKS HAVE ACCESS TO INTERNET
% OR A SMARTPHONE WITH A CELL
% SIGNAL, FOLKS CAN APPLY ONLINE.
% WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO PROCESS AS
% MANY AS 25,000 CLAIMS IN ONE
% DAY.
% 99% OF THOSE ARE DONE ONLINE.
% IF FOLKS HAVE ACCESS TO A
% COMPUTER AND INTERNET, THAT IS
% THE BEST WAY TO GET YOUR CLAIM
% PROCESSED QUICKLY AND ACCURATE.
% IF THERE ARE NO QUESTIONS, WE
% CAN SEE APPROVAL AND
% DETERMINATIONS WITHIN TWO TO
% THREE DAYS.
% SO THAT'S THE VERY BEST WAY THAT
% NEW CLAIMANTS CAN GET THEIR
% CLAIM IN THE HOPPER QUICKLY.
% >> DO YOU EXPECT THE DEPARTMENT
% OF WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT TO ALSO
% HAVE TO TAKE A 5% AGENCY CUT
% THAT THE GOVERNOR ANNOUNCED THIS
% WEEK?
% >> YES.
% SO WE HAVE BEEN WORKING ON THAT
% SINCE THE DECISION WAS MADE
% EARLIER THIS WEEK, AND WE WILL
% LIKELY HAVE TO IDENTIFY 5% TO
% LAPSE BEFORE THE END OF THE
% FISCAL YEAR ON JUNE 30 OF 2020.
% SO WE'RE WORKING HARD TO
% IDENTIFY AREAS WHERE WE CAN MAKE
% THAT HAPPEN BEFORE THE END OF
% THE YEAR.
% >> MEANWHILE, THOUGH, THAT COMES
% AT THE SAME TIME THAT YOUR
% SYSTEM IS CRUSHED, YOU KNOW, BY
% THESE NUMBERS OF CLAIMANTS.
% HOW ARE YOU GOING TO DO THAT?
% >> SURE.
% WELL, I THINK WE'RE TRYING TO BE
% AS CREATIVE AS POSSIBLE.
% WE HAVE SIX DIFFERENT DIVISIONS.
% UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE IS
% GETTING THE LION'S SHARE OF OUR
% EFFORTS.
% BUT WE'RE HOPEFUL THAT EITHER BY
% HOLDING BACK ON MAYBE SOME
% PLANNED EXPENSES OR OTHER AREAS
% WHERE WE CAN LAPSE FUNDS VERSUS
% MAKE PROACTIVE CUTS, THAT WE CAN
% CREATIVELY MAKE THAT HAPPEN.
% BUT I THINK THERE'S AN
% UNDERSTANDING OF COURSE ACROSS
% THE ADMINISTRATION THAT OUR
% AGENCY IS ONE OF THE VERY MOST
% AFFECTED.
% AND SO WE'RE TRYING TO BE AS
% SMART AND STRATEGIC AS POSSIBLE
% ON HOW WE CAN MAKE THAT METRIC
% WORK WHILE STILL SERVING
% WISCONSIN CLAIMANTS.
% >> SECRETARY FROSTMAN, THANKS
% VERY MUCH FOR JOINING US AND
% GOOD LUCK.
% >> APPRECIATE IT.