Audit Shows 93% of Calls To DWD Unemployment Office Didn’t Reach Call Centers

More than 93 percent of phone calls to the Department of Workforce Development for unemployment insurance claims went unanswered during the first 3-1/2 months of the coronavirus pandemic. The nonpartisan Legislative Audit Bureau Friday released its review of the Unemployment Insurance call centers. The audit found that from March 15 through June 30, 38.3 million of the 41.1 million total phone calls to the call centers were blocked or received busy signals and, therefore, did not reach the call centers. From April 6 through August 22 only 6.6 percent of initial claims were filed by individuals who telephoned the call centers.