NY’s toll-free unemployment hotline crashed

[Pale Blue Dot]

Source: BizJournals

New Mexico's unemployment claims operation isn't the only state entity having difficulties reacting to the growing number of claims applicants. New York's state systems for filing unemployment insurance claims crashed today, yet another sign of how that state (and others) is sinking deeper into a recession.

The N.Y. Department of Labor, which oversees unemployment insurance claims, received more than 10,000 phone calls an hour on a toll-free hotline on Tuesday, leading to the crash. The department’s online claim filing system also shut down under the volume of traffic it received.

The New Mexico Dept. of Workforce Solutions said it added 15 more workers and two more phone lines to its call center in December, in response to the high volume of incoming calls.

The New York crashes came as that state's unemployment rate hit 6. 1 percent, up 1.5 percent from the year before. It’s the highest unemployment rate in nearly five years. In New Mexico, the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 4.3 percent in November, unchanged from the revised October rate but up from 3.3 percent a year ago.

Read more: http://www.bizjournals.com/albuquerque/stories/2009/01/...

[truthisfreedom]

1. Looks like there's employment opportunities in unemployment.

Painful irony.

[elocs]

2. I read that here at 4:44 this afternoon.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.ph...

amerikat Donating Member (1000+ posts) Journal Click to send private message to this author Click to view this author's profile Click to add this author to your buddy list Click to add this author to your Ignore list Tue Jan-06-09 04:44 PM
Original message
10,000 calls per hour crash NY unemployment system.

The state's unemployment insurance claims systems crashed today after more than 10,000 people were calling it every hour.

Both the telephone claims center and online claims system shut down because of the high volume.

The Department of Labor, which operates the systems, said its technical staff its trying to make the phone and online claims systems operational as soon as possible. The department said that unemployment insurance claims for the week can be filed as late as Sunday, so there is still time.

http://timesunion.com/AspStories/story.asp?storyID=7571 ...

[GreenInNC]

3. NC also

Ours went down Sunday and Monday

[eridani]

13. Today in Manufacturing had a note on that

http://abpdd-media.com/portal/wts/ccmc77aTAFaqrr3qDtEbc...

A rush of unemployment claims has crashed computer systems in New York and North Carolina states, overwhelmed by jobless people trying to file ahead of this week's deadline.

New York State labor department officials say the problem started Monday and caused the phone banks at the state's toll-free claims center to shut down, followed by the online filing system.

Leo Rosales, an agency spokesman, says as many as 10,000 people per hour were trying to log into the system.

Technicians are trying to bring the systems back online Tuesday afternoon but officials couldn't say when they'll be back up and available.

[nc4bo]

4. Truly frightening situation. Funny how problems like this never seem to find a way onto M$M new$?

How will people know the seriousness and severity of this country's economic crisis if stories affecting thousands of "real" people aren't reported?

[Muttocracy]

5. radio report I heard earlier said it was due to some upcoming deadline in NY

but I didn't catch what it was

[InkAddict]

6. Automated phone system also crashed in Ohio...

Claims were being taken manually - spouse was on HOLD for 1 hr 25 min before a rep could take info to re-open an existing claim. Yup, second time since June. That damned bank first blackmailed the contractors to reduce the contracts they signed up for while collecting their BAIL-OUT; then his client-bitch-boss didn't even have the class to say adios and thanks for your efforts.

Daughter is also unemployed as of Dec 5 and now must serve jury duty. She hasn't received her first claim check yet, 4 weeks later, and next time she files, she'll need to report the stipend from the county which will lower her check further ?????? Parking downtown is a fiver a day + gas + lunch. But, hey, she can dress up on Second Life while the first one goes to pot on my dime.

My check's getting thinner and thinner...OH NEVER MIND...it's all my fault...choices, doncha know.

[merwin]

7. In WA you have to spend days trying to speak to someone.

You can file online weekly, but if you miss a week you have to call them.

[grace0418]

12. In Illinois you can only file online if you have a pc. Apparently Mac users don't lose their

jobs or something? So I had to trudge into the local office to file. What a pain.

[DollyM]

8. my husband filed in November and still no check . . .

Every week he files and every week, going on 6 weeks now, he gets a letter saying there is a question about his eligibility and his claim in pending. Meanwhile, we have exhausted our savings, cashed in our retirement and are don't have the money to pay the bills for the rest of the the month. He tried to call Unemployment on Monday to find out what the question was that they were holding up his unemployment for and tried for 3 hours without getting through. We are selling off everything we own to try and pay the bills. Our country has it's own humanitarian crisis on it's hands as we don't know where the money is going to come from to eat and pay the bills. I am sure their are many others in the same position. All we really want are jobs but that is a seemingly impossible thing to find anymore.

[grace0418]

11. I'm so sorry DollyM. I guess I'm lucky in that regard, the money (what little Illinois

gives out) was on my debit card within a day of when it was supposed to be there. I hope things work out for you soon.

[DollyM]

17. Illinois was simple to get unemployment in back several years ago.

But we had to apply for unemployment from Wisconsin and it has been a nightmare since day one. They act like it is coming out of their own personal bank account. Hubby spent another three hours on the phone again today, Wednesday, and still did not get through. Maybe they hope the unemployed will just give up and quite trying.

[grace0418]

21. Now you can't even call in Illinois. I mean, you can try, but no one will answer. My s-i-l

was laid off a couple months before I was and her counselor told her not to bother calling with questions because they don't have enough time to answer the phone. You pretty much have to go down to an office and wait in line for hours.

[mnhtnbb]

9. NC unemployment is highest in 25 years: almost 360,000 looking for work

http://news14.com/content/top_stories/603195/unemployme...

[GreenInNC]

14. I am one of them

Got laid off the week before Christmas

[mnhtnbb]

15. Ouch, Green. That's cold. Hope you have some success looking for work.

[grace0418]

20. I got laid off Dec. 12, not quite the week before Christmas but close enough.

Good luck to you.

[DollyM]

19. that's ironic as we were thinking about going to look for jobs there!

I have a small business making custom designed, realistic dolls. I sold two last month on Ebay in the same week to two different people both from North Carolina. One went for $510.00 and the other for $300.00. I love dolls but even I wouldn't pay $510.00 for a doll. Most of my business comes from the east especially around this area so I figure someone there must have a job.

[grace0418]

10. When I applied for unemployment a couple weeks ago (in Illinois), the guy told me

point blank not to bother tracking my job search because they didn't have the manpower to check up on me anyway. He said as long as I called in every two weeks and claimed I was looking for a job I would get the money. Also, if I had any questions or if there were any glitches in my unemployment (money not going into the account, address incorrect, etc.) to be prepared to spend at least 4 hours at the unemployment office waiting to talk to someone. The first-time applicants are seen right away (I only waited 10 minutes or so), but everyone else has to wait for hours on end. It's bad. Really bad.

[DollyM]

18. Illinois even extended it's hours for getting to talk to someone for unemployment

We had unemployment about 10years ago in Illinois and it was pretty simple and straightforward. Wisconsin acts like you are taking the money out of their individual pockets so they let you set for weeks on end with nothing. Got another letter today saying my husband's claim was pending due to questions about his eligibility. It's an extention for God's sake, what questions could they have, nothing has changed!

[maddogesq]

16. Unemployment, Michigan style.

We never want to feel left out.

http://www.wxyz.com/news/local/story/Big-Problems-Snarl...