Michigan Adds Staff, Hours To Unemployment Office To Combat Overload
MICHIGAN (PATCH) — The state is adding staff and extending hours in hopes it will ease an unprecedented increase in customers filing unemployment claims due to effects from the coronavirus.
The Michigan Unemployment Insurance Agency announced Wednesday that it has extended call center hours by an hour Monday-Friday and and has quadrupled staffing levels over the last several weeks. While normal staffing levels are around 130 employees, the agency had roughly 300 staff answering calls by March 30, the state said in a press release. It is expected there will be around 500 employees by the end of the week, and hundreds more staff will be added to the call center in the coming weeks.
"Thank you to Michigan's working families for their patience as the UIA continues to provide emergency financial assistance during this unprecedent increase in unemployment claims," said Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity Director Jeff Donofrio.
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