You can register for an account with AKDOL either online or on paper. JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) - Claims for unemployment benefits have risen sharply in Alaska as concerns over the coronavirus ripple through the state, officials said Thursday. He said he’s buying and repairing old washers, dryers and other appliances he finds on Craigslist to make enough to pay for food and gas for his vehicle. “You can’t get through,” she said. The boost would come on top of the regular weekly unemployment payment, which averaged about $250 before the pandemic began. But programming issues have been a problem in the past, and there would be challenges with standing up a new system for a service that’s heavily regulated by the federal government, she said. (James Brooks / ADN). On Friday, the Alaska Department of Commerce, Community and Economic Development announced that the COVID-19 small business grants program was being expanded. Alaska unemployment claims skyrocket after coronavirus shuts down restaurants. • The current unemployment system is designed for funds to be disbursed only through that system. Alaska is assessing President Trump’s Executive Order issued August 8th which potentially extends additional Unemployment Insurance (UI) benefits. He managed to get through by phone but said that as a self-employed freelancer, the system wasn’t ready for him. When additional information is available we will update this message. Beau Sylte of Sitka said that can’t come soon enough. She also said that anyone whose application is delayed will receive retroactive payments effective as of the date they lost their job or had their hours reduced, back to March 1. The next day, he was told he didn’t have a job at all. To apply online, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, go to my.alaska.gov and click on “Unemployment Insurance Benefits”. Home>Get Legal Info>Coronavirus (COVID-19) Back to Coronavirus (COVID-19) Unemployment (COVID-19) Legal Information (1) Legal Help Directory; Filter By: Language. “Our hardware, software system to be able to distribute those checks, we’re having a problem with it,” he said. According to the BLS current population survey (CPS), the unemployment rate for Alaska rose 2.2 percentage points in November 2020 to 8.1%.The state unemployment rate was 1.4 percentage points higher than the national rate for the month. We invite you to write a letter to the editor or reach out directly if you’d like to communicate with us about a particular article. In 2010, it took four to six weeks to train additional staff needed to process claims. The Alaska unemployment rate has been fluctuating over the last decade. In 2000, the Alaska unemployment rate was around 6.2%. Lex Treinen, Alaska Public Media - Anchorage - March 19, 2020. Published April 9, 2020 Rachael Byrd of Juneau is one of more than 30,000 Alaskans who have applied for unemployment in the past few weeks. “The best thing people can do with unemployment claims right now is file online,” said Rep. Ivy Spohnholz, D-Anchorage and chair of the Alaska House’s committee on labor and commerce. This new payment, designed to help offset the loss of that $600 federal payment, will be made in one lump sum of up to $1,800, the statement said. Cathy Muñoz, deputy commissioner for the department, said on Oct. 12 that the payments, covering a six-week period, would begin last week. Meanwhile, the state agency in charge of unemployment has been scrambling to hire workers, upgrade equipment and implement a swath of rule changes ordered by elected state and federal officials. Amanda Filori, a Juneau artist, offered a handful of tips that she said worked for her: Call early (call centers open at 9 a.m.), wait on hold, be polite and read the unemployment pamphlet before calling. Bob Allain, a heating systems installer from Palmer who has been laid off for seven months, said his $1,800 will be spent as soon as it arrives to catch up on recent months of unpaid heating, electric and other bills. “They should have sat people down and handwritten the damn checks.”. Sen. Click Bishop, R-Fairbanks, was commissioner of the state Department of Labor in 2010, the last time unemployment applications peaked. Byrd, seen in her apartment Thursday, April 9, 2020, said she has been unable to reach unemployment officials by phone and is frustrated by changing rules and regulations. “An additional 75 staff will be hired this week,” Ledbetter wrote by email. That remains the advice today. The extra payment that didn’t come last week, as expected, was difficult for his family, he said. The state labor department on Friday continued to describe the delayed payments as a problem involving information technology associated with the department’s existing computer systems and the requirement for a new payment system from the U.S. Department of Labor. This value went up to 7.8% in the summer of 2003. “That’s just nowhere near enough.”. “When I get emails like that, that rings alarm bells.”. “It’s been a really long time since Alaskans saw the $600 benefit,” and they need to pay bills, she said. That will … Heidi Drygas, an attorney who led the state labor department under former Gov. The unemployment rate in Alaska peaked in April 2020 at 13.5% and is now 5.4 percentage points lower. Report UI fraud. Employment with the State of Alaska is more than just a job. ’Patience, ’ she said, was key. The Legislature has increased the payments only on rare occasions over the past two decades, she said. Professions in state government help support many aspects of life in the Last Frontier including healthcare, protection of citizens, and preserving natural resources, just to name a few. By. Because of a high volume of comments requiring moderation, we are temporarily disabling comments on many of our articles so editors can focus on the coronavirus crisis and other coverage. 3. A record number of people are applying for unemployment benefits as a result of the novel coronavirus pandemic, and state systems are struggling to withstand the traffic. Now, callers say they’re hearing a prerecorded message that disconnects the phone line at the end. The state cannot pay people the extra money by using money from the unemployment insurance trust fund.  Since then, it gradually improved as businesses have attempted to reopen safely, … All rights reserved. Learn about … Once you find yourself in financial trouble getting yourself out of it is no easy task at all. The unemployment rate peaked at around 10% following the 2008–09 financial crisis. It then began a slow but steady recovery that reached a low of 3.5% in February 2020. The program needs a mechanism so payments rise with inflation, she said. Byrd, seen in … This left us with 23 places in Alaska. To access employment and training resources we encourage the use of our online resources at www.jobs.alaska.gov or you may contact your local job center at (877) 724-2539 to speak to a job center representative. Back on unemployment and 90,000 having received assistance this year, we are telling the state is working urgently get..., anticipating the surge to come, state officials urged Alaskans to file a claim online hours... Filori is one of more than 36,000 Alaskans file jobless claims in 3 weeks as coronavirus stifles the ]. 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