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.