Friend,

We’ve all had to make major changes to our daily lives to comply with social distancing orders put into effect by Governor Phil Murphy to keep us all safe. The data is starting to show that our collective effort is paying off by reducing the spread of COVID-19, bending the curve downwards as the rate of new cases slows. We’re not where we need to be yet, and there is much more to do to protect New Jersey residents. As the Governor said yesterday, we must have greater support and resources from the federal government to ramp up our testing capacity. But it’s clear that we are all making a difference by staying home, wearing masks and other face coverings and following Governor Murphy’s instructions. 

One of the most promising signs we have seen recently is that Governor Murphy is working with leaders of neighboring states to create a plan for safely re-opening our economies. Along with the Governors of New York, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Delaware, Rhode Island and Massachusetts, Governor Murphy will be coordinating with public health officials, economic development experts and more on a regional approach to getting our businesses back open and workers back on their feet. 

You can read more about the COVID-19 Regional Advisory Council here. 

Besides mitigating the health effects of COVID-19, addressing the economic harm this crisis is causing is the state’s top priority. Hundreds of thousands of New Jersey residents have lost their jobs, creating a crushing backlog of unemployment claims that the state is working around the clock to address. This week, the State Department of Labor made a series of moves – from upgrading computer technology to adding personnel and boosting phone capacity – to get unemployment claims processed faster and customers’ questions answered quicker. 

Here is a list of the measures that have been, or are about to be, implemented by the Labor Department to improve customer service:

• The first batch of supplemental unemployment payments has processed and distributed, getting an extra $600 into claimants’ pockets just after the holidays. Some 258,062 unemployed residents are seeing this money in their accounts yesterday and today, for a total of $154.8 million in payouts. 
• Some 166,000 residents -- more than 60% of those waiting for an agent to review their unemployment application -- have had their claim processed, thanks to updated IT programming. This enabled these applicants to receive a quick determination of their eligibility. Going forward, this same percentage of claims formerly requiring an agent review will be entered directly into the system as a result of this significant upgrade. 
• Hundreds of laptops have been delivered and configured and hundreds more are arriving this week, allowing additional claims agents and support staff to work from home, which will speed processing time for claims requiring agent review, and allow more staff to triage customer questions.    
• A document explaining the benefits process for independent contractors and freelancers will be posted on the Labor Department website, guiding this group through the process to collect their Pandemic Unemployment Assistance payments as soon as possible. This will reduce a significant volume of phone and email inquiries. 
• An intelligent automated reply to emails has been deployed so that whenever someone sends an email to the unemployment office, they receive a reply specific to their inquiry directing them to the appropriate Labor’s FAQs, pin reset and solutions to other common questions. This will relieve stress for customers who have been waiting for an email reply and provide them with steps they can take on their own.  
• The capacity of the call centers was expanded Wednesday to provide additional inquiry lines. Prior to this upgrade, tens of thousands of callers were met with dead air, or a dial tone, because the system was beyond its capacity. This is no longer happening. Additionally, more callers are able to provide their information over the phone.  
• An automated pin reset function has been developed, which eliminates a common reason for applicant calls. 
• The Appeal Tribunal has been set up to conduct virtual appeal hearings, alleviating delays for customers who were denied unemployment benefits and are appealing the decision.

For more information on benefits eligibility, customers are urged to visit nj.gov/labor or MyUnemployment.nj.gov. 

I hope you and your family are safe and making it through this crisis. Please know that we will get through this together. Thank you for your support. 

Chairman John Currie

P.S. -- Earlier this week we launched a new campaign asking NJ residents to share their COVID-19 story and tell us about how this crisis has affected you and your family. You can upload your story here on our website.