State lawmakers prodded the head of Oregon's employment agency Saturday as thousands of Oregonians continue to wait for unemployment benefits. Dominick Nevarez's story would be tough enough with just the unemployment troubles. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The system seemed to suggest she couldn’t claim benefits so she gave up and tried to call. “School is so much more than a place kids go to learn," she said during a Friday press conference. Archived . Kate Brown asked director Kay Erickson to step down, and replaced her with David Gerstenfeld, the … Posted by 9 months ago. I had success calling and getting someone on the phone today! Busy signals Wednesday marked the 17th day since Jesse Snavlin filed for unemployment benefits. I’ve gotten confusing letters in the mail saying that I need to contact someone/send additional information/they need more information about my self employment … Others say they’re getting error messages or confusing responses from the filing system. Issues range from long wait times on phone calls to the Oregon Employment Division and problems with online applications. The Oregon Employment Department Wednesday told a legislative hearing that about 220,000 claims have yet to be paid, according to The Oregonian. Sections of this page . Log In. She’s called as many as 50 times a day, Schroeder said, but hasn’t been able to through. “There’s a sense of hopelessness from a lot of people about how they’re going to pay their bills,” Cote said. Oregon’s Unemployment Insurance (UI) call center is presently experiencing very high call volumes. It later said the real number is closer to 200,000. More people filed new claims in the past two weeks than in the prior 39 weeks combined. It needs to do better now, before the fallout becomes irreparable. Download our FREE news and weather apps for iPhone, iPad and Android. “While it’s not the level of job loss that we saw in the spring of 2020, 25,500 jobs is a large loss over the month,” said. She filed the same day she lost her job as a bartender at a Portland restaurant. “It’s not like anything we’ve seen and so that’s causing some frustration for people who are trying to get through and get help,” employment department economist Gail Krumenauer said in a video the department posted this week to explain the delays and confusion. You can also follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, and sign up for our email newsletters. Another Oregonian who is out of work, Dennis Cote, said he called the unemployment department 750 times in one day and never spoke to a single person. The department says those filers should keep updating their status each week, even though the online system says it can’t find their claims. You will have to call over and over until you get into the actual unemployment phonetree menu. Press alt + / to open this menu. But he said he and his girlfriend are also sick with COVID-19. Then you have to redial over and over again to try to get past the busy signal." “I’m assuming that my claim is just on hold and who knows how many others are in the same boat,” lamented Erika Schroeder, a Southeast Portland chef who filed her initial claim two weeks ago after the café where she works closed. He said he’s facing a cash crunch while he waits for clarity on what benefits he will receive, and when. Michael Bulkin lost his job as a lift operator last month when Mt. If online filers receive a confirmation number, that indicates a claim has been filed and will be processed. Yes, that number has a busy tone. Administrative decisions become final 20 days after we mail them, so don't wait to file an appeal if you want a hearing. KOIN 6 reports: The acting director of the Oregon Employment Department told KOIN 6 News over the phone that he estimated about 1,500 people are in a situation where they were paid benefits but now have to pay them back for one reason or another. The department advises independent contractors, gig workers and others who are newly eligible for benefits to continue trying to file online – though the department acknowledges there may be glitches that will prevent them from completing the process, or that stop claims from going through. A record number of people claiming unemployment insurance has bogged down the filing system and required OEM to hastily hire additional employees. Close. Log In. That’s the nightmare that approximately 1500 people in Oregon are experiencing. Like so many others, all she got was a busy signal -- and that left her and her claim in limbo. Copyright 2021 Nexstar Inc. All rights reserved. ... "While the Oregon Employment Department works on processing all existing claims, this action can help frustrated Oregonians get some direct cash assistance as soon as possible." See more of Oregon Employment Department on Facebook. BUSY SIGNAL IS SO 80'S! “It’s happening to everybody,” Bulkin said, “but it’s definitely happening to me.”. See more of Oregon Employment Department on Facebook. I've been trying for three days, nothing but a busy signal … This has resulted in busy signals and longer hold times. please allow a few weeks for your claim to be processed, at which point you will be notified. Administrative decisions mailed from the Employment Department include a form you can use to request a hearing. PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) -- Governor Kate Brown defended her decision to prioritize teachers over seniors for the COVID vaccine, even though it was a difficult choice. Hang up and try to call the local area phone number for the call center. More people filed new claims in the past two weeks than in the prior 39 weeks combined. A spokesperson for the Oregon Employment Department says they’ve doubled the staff taking claims, and they’re on track to triple. When laid-off workers return to the website a week later to file their next week’s claims, the employment department says some are getting a message that the system cannot find their initial claim from the prior week. 31. So Crockett said she was “thrilled and surprised” when Congress changed the rules last week to make her and others eligible. Forgot account? “So you just wing it and you hope you will get enough information in there so there will be some follow through?” Crockett asked. Like so many others, all she got was a busy signal -- and that left her and her claim in limbo. I've been trying to call someone to figure out why I got denied unemployment despite being laid off. The toll-free one and the original one. Subscribe to Oregonian/OregonLive newsletters and podcasts for the latest news and top stories. Create New … When your department dates paperwork, and states 5 days to deal with said issue or possible denial of benefits yet the paperwork arrives on the 5th day. Consequently, when our unemployed people call in to initiate their claims, all they get is a busy signal. Phase Finder tells you. Busy signals: Oregonians struggle to file for unemployment , Local News, Portland local News, Breaking News alerts for Portland city. Some days, Billy Renz dials the number for the state’s employment department help line as many as 300 times. OK, she said, she will try. Also, as of the date of my writing this, no Employment Department office in Oregon is … 33 missing children, including some who were sexually exploited, found in California operation: FBI. The 22 newly-reported deaths include people between the ages of 46 and 90, two lived in Clackamas County, one in Deschutes, two in Harney, five in Jackson, two in Klamath, one in Josephine, one in Multnomah, one in Umatilla, two in Washington, one in Union and four in Marion. If you continue to receive a busy signal, please wait several hours before attempting contact again. or. The resulting spike in jobless claims has completely overwhelmed the state’s system for processing new claims, leaving Bulkin and tens of thousands of others stymied when they try to check the status of their claims or update their information. Gail Krumenauer with the Oregon Employment Department said people calling multiple times in a day might be contributing to the backlog. Hiker near Cascade Locks fell Tuesday, airlifted Friday, With snow possible, PBOT ‘mindful of the forecast’, Job openings for those out of work due to COVID-19 response, ‘It was amazing’: OHSU nurse vaccinates her own grandmother, Oregon hospitals have doubts about Brown’s vaccine plan, I-405 to close as crews install new pedestrian bridge, Body of California woman found near Yamhill County park, Driver dies in rollover crash on SR-14 in Camas, Man, 91, slain at Bethany home, stepson arrested, Biden administration ‘closely monitoring’ unrest in Oregon, Newberg cop’s ‘dangerous’ social media posts alarm residents, Gunfire between cars leaves one man wounded and arrested, 3 people displaced after house fire in Clackamas, President Trump’s impeachment trial to begin week of Feb. 8, Schumer says, Baseball Hall of Famer Hank Aaron dies at 86, Read: Draft Articles of Impeachment circulated by Congressional Democrats, Inauguration Day in Portland: Tear gas, arrests, demonstrations, Eligible for vaccine in Washington? The Oregon Employment Department said Wednesday that the rate went from 6 percent to 6.4 percent. I called the 877-345-3484 number. @#$%^&* Jump to. But she still hasn’t seen any money from the state. Accessibility Help. “When you try to call unemployment it’s just a busy tone, all the time,” said Bulkin, 32. "At exactly 8 o'clock you get a busy signal on both of the dedicated PUA lines. Oregon's Employment Department has been plagued with complaints of people not getting their claims via the traditional unemployment area, the Work Share department for employees with dramatically reduced hours, and the PUA department. She filed the same day she lost her job as a bartender at a Portland restaurant. Please support high-quality local journalism. Create New Account. The state’s online claims system appears to be holding up comparatively well under the strain, but some people cannot file online because of particular aspects of their case, or because they fall into categories of workers newly eligible for benefits under the coronavirus rescue package Congress passed last week. “We continue to receive a truly—not even close to numbers we’ve seen before, we’ve never seen anything like it—unprecedented record level of unemployment insurance initial claims in Oregon,” said Gail Krumenauer with OEM. SALEM — Oregon lawmakers have urged Employment Department officials to reach out directly to some of the tens of thousands of unemployed workers … Failure to file a timely appeal may prevent you from having the original administrative decision … ReliaCard ®: A reloadable prepaid debit card. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. 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