Less than 1% of calls to state unemployment call centers were answered, audit shows

[Nevilledog]

Link to tweet

Tweet text:
@JStein_WaPo
Ppl in Wisconsin called the state unemployment office *41 million* times between March and June. An audit has now found just 0.5% of those calls were answered.

We knew ppl were struggling to get through but this is the first time I’ve seen it quantified

https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/politics/2020/09/25/less-than-1-calls-unemployment-call-centers-were-answered/3529690001/

MADISON - Fewer than 1% of calls from Wisconsin residents who lost their jobs during the pandemic were answered by state officials overseeing unemployment benefits, and the Evers administration did not report key information to lawmakers showing the full scope of the problem, a new state audit shows.

The audit confirms stories the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel has heard for months from hundreds of people who were forced out of jobs or work because of the pandemic, and it is being released a week after Gov. Tony Evers fired the agency's secretary over lack of progress in clearing claims from more than 90,000 people.

The analysis from the Legislative Audit Bureau Friday shows 93.3% of the 41 million calls to the state Department of Workforce Development unemployment call centers between March 15 and June 30 were blocked, or callers received a busy signal.

About 6% of callers hung up before reaching anyone and 0.5% of calls were ultimately answered.

But the agency didn't report the full scope of the problem to lawmakers on the audit committee, the audit shows.

*snip*

[VarryOn]

1. One of the things I hate about government...

Is this is acceptable. My company wouldn't stand for this level of customer service. Not even close.

[BigmanPigman]

2. .....

[Amishman]

3. That's awful but kinda understandable

The unemployment spike we experienced is completely beyond anything that ever happened before.

They only have so many employees available and it takes a month or two to screen, hire, and train additional staff.

[MichMan]

4. They had thousands of existing employees in other departments

that were available since their normal departments were not providing services due to shut downs. They could have been trained to field calls in just a few weeks.

It took me 8 weeks before I ever received a dime. Tried calling dozens of times and never got through.