Unemployment Tidal Wave

1
Unemployment Tidal Wave

• Dramatic rise of unemployment claims
• Response of Oklahoma Employment Security
  Commission (OESC)
• Current Status

2
Dramatic Rise of UI Claims(Sept 07-Jan 08 vs.
Sept 08 vs. Jan 09)

• Initial claims (requests from unemployed citizens
  to establish a UI claim) up 89.6
• Extended Unemployment Compensation federal
  benefits to extend length of unemployment
  payments (up to 20 weeks)
• Total number of unemployed Oklahomans requesting
  weekly payment up 92.3
• Amount of total benefits paid up 120.4

3
Initial Claims EstablishedSept 07 Jan 08 vs.
Sept 08 Jan 09
4
Oklahomans Requesting Weekly UI Payments (avg.
per week)
5
UI Dollars paid to Unemployed Oklahomans
6
Effects of UI Tidal Wave (Oklahoma)

• Customers unable to get through to UI Call
  Centers (all circuits busy)
• Extremely high wait times to speak to agent (up
  to 3 hour wait)
• Not enough staff or technology (mainframe, phone
  lines, etc.) capacity to handle the load

7
Effects of UI Tidal Wave (Other States)

• All states systems (and staff) pushed to the
  brink
• Three states had total system crashes lasting up
  to 4 days
• Up to thirty states may run out of reserves to
  pay unemployment benefits in the next month,
  forcing them to borrow from the federal
  government.

8
OESCs Response to the Rising Tide - Capacity

• Increase technology infrastructure
• Added 92 additional incoming lines to UI Call
  Centers
• Doubled processing speed of mainframe
• Enhanced Internet application to allow increased
  usage
• Procured additional licenses and hardware as
  necessary to support increase in staff levels

9
OESCs Response to the Rising Tide Staff Levels

• Increase number of staff to assist customers
• Hired 27 additional phone agents for UI Call
  Centers
• Extended hours of UI Call Center operations
• Leveraged UI expertise in Local Offices to
  provide in-person claims assistance

10
Where Are We Now?

• Tide continues to rise
• Weekly payment amount was up 36.6 last week
  compared to only 9 weeks ago.
• Number of customers being served continues to
  increase
• Wait times continue to decrease

11
Weekly Payments
12
Customers Served vs. Wait Time (Past 4 wks)