SACRAMENTO, April 13 2009 - Beginning today, the state Employment Development Department (EDD) has expanded the hours of 26 Workforce Services offices throughout the state by one hour to provide unemployed Californians greater access to the Unemployment Insurance (UI) program.
The offices now are open to the public from 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. In addition, these 26 offices will continue to be open from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturdays.
This continues an expansion of EDD services that has already helped thousands of Californians file for UI benefits and gain access to job search and training services designed to get them quickly back to work.
"Since we began Saturday office hours last month, we've served thousands of unemployed workers," EDD Director Patrick Henning said. "They have used our computers and phones to apply for unemployment benefits, and begun accessing our extensive and valuable job search and career development assistance. At the same time, we've made it easier for thousands of other workers to file for badly needed unemployment benefits by opening our UI call center phone lines on Saturdays between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m."
The offices have experienced large increases in the number of unemployed workers as the national recession continues. During the past three weeks, EDD employees staffing the 26 centers on Saturdays have served more than 2,300 customers, with hopes of assisting more customers in the weeks ahead. The visitors received direct assistance and used phones and computers to file UI claims, submit claim questions, and access CalJOBS, EDD's online job board.
During the past month, hundreds of staff from other EDD program areas have volunteered to work at EDD's UI Call Centers during the new Saturday hours, and have answered nearly 26,000 calls from unemployed workers. That staff has filed nearly 3,500 UI claims and took in more than 15,500 caller questions about claims for follow up by experienced program staff.
Since Saturday UI call volume is highest in the morning, EDD recommends that customers call between noon and 2 p.m. The UI phone number is 1-800-300-5616. The Spanish language line is 1-800-326-8937. The best way to file a UI claim, however, continues to be online at www.edd.ca.gov.
The Saturday hours provide further access to UI services to meet an unprecedented demand for benefits. EDD is processing a record number of UI claims, including nearly 490,000 initial claims in March, more than double the monthly total of a year ago. That is about equal to the next two highest states in the nation combined. In March, EDD was paying a total of up to $77 million a day in UI benefits.
A vast majority of claimants are receiving their first check within about three weeks of applying, the fastest available under program requirements. After that, all claimants receive their checks every two weeks as long as they remain otherwise eligible and submit their properly completed claim form on time.
Other EDD measures to assist unemployed workers include:
* $415 million in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) federal stimulus funding is now available to help bolster workforce development services throughout the state. The money supports job search assistance services and enhances training opportunities accessible through 250 One Stop Career Centers throughout the state. Find the nearest One Stop on EDD's Web site, or by calling 1-877-872-5627 (TTY: 1-877-889-5627).
* EDD has hired 250 people within the UI program since last fall to help meet the growing demand for benefits, and is now in the process of hiring 700 more.
* EDD's Web site is newly revised to provide unemployed workers helpful information for starting and managing their UI claims. Three new tip sheets were developed to address common questions on filing a claim and filling out continued claim forms, as well as avoiding typical pitfalls experienced by claimants.
* EDD has begun to automatically file UI claim extensions without the claimant having to re-contact the department, saving customers time and effort
