Operators at the Colorado Dept. of Labor (January 26, 2010) |
DENVER - Unemployment numbers continue to rise in Colorado, and so does the level of frustration with many people trying to use the system to get benefits.
In December 2008 there were nearly 160,000 unemployed Coloradans. In December 2009 there were almost 200,000.
Hundreds of people a day are showing up at the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment when they can't get through on the phone or use the website.
"If I don't get this taken care of very soon my car will be repossessed," said Bruce Sales, one Coloradan looking for work.
The Director of Unemployment Insurance, Steve Fowler, says his department is still seeing unprecedented volume. In January of last year the department was handling 3,000 calls a week. Now they are handling 14,000.
Fowler says they've hired 150 people, added phone lines, added a form to get a call back, and added a new self service web page that allows a person to see the status of their claim.
The average wait time for callers is down, but it is still about an hour, and about 300,000 busy signals go out a week.
"We continue to keep adding phone lines and keep adding services, but it's just overwhelming in terms of the demand from people who don't have jobs," Fowler says.
For more information go to www.colorado.gov/cdle
New claims 303-318-9123
Other questions 303-318-9000
In December 2008 there were nearly 160,000 unemployed Coloradans. In December 2009 there were almost 200,000.
Hundreds of people a day are showing up at the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment when they can't get through on the phone or use the website.
"If I don't get this taken care of very soon my car will be repossessed," said Bruce Sales, one Coloradan looking for work.
The Director of Unemployment Insurance, Steve Fowler, says his department is still seeing unprecedented volume. In January of last year the department was handling 3,000 calls a week. Now they are handling 14,000.
Fowler says they've hired 150 people, added phone lines, added a form to get a call back, and added a new self service web page that allows a person to see the status of their claim.
The average wait time for callers is down, but it is still about an hour, and about 300,000 busy signals go out a week.
"We continue to keep adding phone lines and keep adding services, but it's just overwhelming in terms of the demand from people who don't have jobs," Fowler says.
For more information go to www.colorado.gov/cdle
New claims 303-318-9123
Other questions 303-318-9000
