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GRIEGO: Worried callers flood unemployment office

By Tina Griego, Rocky Mountain News (Contact)

Published November 13, 2008 at 12:05 a.m.

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The story of the current economic turmoil has many faces, some of them more hidden than others. There is, for example, a building on the corner of 12th Avenue and Sherman Street, not far from the state Capitol building. It's a Colorado Department of Labor and Employment office. On the top floor are row after row of cubicles, a section of which has been set aside for a call center.

Anyone calling to file a claim for Colorado unemployment insurance benefits is routed through here. Walk past the cubicles and it is not difficult to weave from the pieces of conversations a picture of what's happening out there, which, again, is not as bad as what's happening elsewhere, in places like California or Michigan. But I doubt this is of comfort to someone waiting on the line with the rent due and the savings account running - oh, who am I kidding, we're Americans, what savings account?

A caller says:

When can I expect a payment?

"You're aware it takes four to six weeks to process a claim," the labor and employment specialist answers.

She sighs.

"You'll be OK, you'll be OK," the specialist says. "What kind of work are you looking for?"

Anything, the caller says. Anything I've done in my life, I'm going back to. I'm just worried. I have some bills that need to be paid, like, right now. Everyone is in a hiring freeze right now. It's so bad.

"You're right on track," the specialist says. "Just hang in there. You gotta keep your head up, OK?"

At the call center, the phone never stops ringing. People filing new claims. People re-opening a claim. People checking on a claim. People with questions.

"So, how many calls are you getting a day?" I ask Joe Martin, one of the supervisors. And I don't know what I was expecting him to say, but "thousands" definitely wasn't it.

"Thousands?" I repeat, dumbfounded. "Thousands of people a day are calling about unemployment insurance claims?"

"Yes," he says. "Thousands every day."

In the week ending Nov. 1, about 35,000 people had filed a claim for state unemployment benefits. Not all will get them, but generally speaking, about 80 percent do. In that same week, 4,059 first-time claims were filed, 88 percent higher than a year ago at the same time, says Michael Rose, chief of statistical programs. The percentage increase over last year's numbers has been rising the past six months, he said, a reflection of what is happening in the economy nationwide.

Much of the increase in calls comes from Congress' emergency extension of jobless benefits, which went into effect in July. The department sent out more than 100,000 letters notifying everyone who might qualify and then doubled its call center staff.

About 40 people field 2,000, sometimes 3,000, calls a day. Many are basic "where's my money?" questions. So many are calling, the line is backed up. Wait times on hold are hitting one, two hours.

"They're frustrated. They're desperate. They're scared," says Leigh Cline, one of the 40 labor and employment specialists answering phones. She's been working at the call center for almost two years.

"Some of the things I've heard . . . ," she pauses, shakes her head. "Wow. You know: 'I'm going to lose my house.' I tell them to call 211, United Way. I have the numbers of social services agencies. But I know even when I'm telling them that there's only a few fish in the pond and you may not catch any. There's just a lot of need and not enough to go around."

As of 1:16 p.m. Monday, 1,194 calls had been taken.

I know. These stories are depressing. It's a fine line between informing people and scaring them half to death. But it is what it is. All you have to do is read our business pages - "more than three Colorado companies a day are filing bankruptcy." Or talk to Labor and Employment executive director Don Mares, who will use the word inundated to describe the call center and tell you "we haven't hit bottom, yet."

Lots of uncertainty. Lots of anxiety. On the bright side, have I mentioned health care and renewable energy industries are hiring?

I run into Roderick Winn in the lobby. He was checking on his claim. He's 51 years old and was working at Coors Field as a dishwasher in the clubhouse. When the season ended, his bosses told him to apply at the Pepsi Center, but there was nothing for him, he said.

So, where else have you looked? I ask him. He opens his wallet and pulls out a stack of business cards. "I went to the Brown Palace, applied for a dishwasher. I went to University Hospital, applied for janitorial work. I went to this restaurant right here, applied for a dishwasher. I went to the Marriott, applied for janitor."

Nothing?

Not yet, he says, "and I gotta pay my rent, $575 due the 1st of December."

I wonder how much is left to a 51-year-old man earning dishwasher's wages after he pays $575 a month rent. But I say good luck, and he gives me a tip of his Rockies baseball cap and walks out the door.

As of 3:21 p.m. Monday, 1,477 calls had been taken; 195 were waiting on hold.

griegot@RockyMountainNews.com

Comments

  • November 13, 2008

    7:49 a.m.

    Suggest removal

    T1anda writes:

    Yep, and when Obama takes office what are legitimate American citizens going to do for jobs when he gives millions of illegals amnesty,health insurance,drivers licences etc?

  • November 13, 2008

    8:25 a.m.

    Suggest removal

    hmblslayer writes:

    Forget being on "hold" it's only a busy signal. I need to reinstate my claim and can't. The entire week it's been "busy" Most questions can be answered by looking online and people can apply online or by calling the number specific for that purpose, but people won't do that apparently. People like me can't get thru to get our legitimate claims reinstated! It's like they have taken the phone permanently off the hook.

  • November 13, 2008

    10:35 a.m.

    Suggest removal

    SanctuaryCity writes:

    Time has come to boot the dishwashers.

  • November 13, 2008

    3:19 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    gr8fuldude writes:

    A little ironic that she is talking to unskilled workers who cannot find work, while in the past, Ms. Griego has downplayed the impact that illegals have...hmmm....Connection perhaps?

  • November 13, 2008

    4:36 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    redwhiteandBLUE writes:

    T1anda

    EXACTLY!!!

  • November 16, 2008

    5:45 a.m.

    Suggest removal

    tbizzy writes:

    But it's fine to tear down our fence and open the borders. Illegal aliens can have jobs that Americans like Roderick Winn won't take.

    Right?

  • December 4, 2008

    9:05 a.m.

    Suggest removal

    jphive writes:

    How about an article with some helpful advice, as in how to get past the busy signal, or if there are other office locations we can go to?
    I've been trying to get through all week to re-open a claim, and the closest I've been to talking to someone is the automated answer, which inevitably always says they're busy and hangs up.
    USELESS.

  • January 8, 2009

    3:10 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    jonesmjh writes:

    I have to call as it is the only way to get my Emergency Unemployment. The letter says to call 303-318-9000 and I have sat and hit redial for literally hours on end only to hear a busy signal. My daughter and I will be living on the streets in a couple of weeks. Is there anything, anything I can do?