Sign of the times: Missouri adds 35 workers to unemployment office
Call it a sign of the times.
The office that handles unemployment claims for the state of Missouri said Thursday that it will extend its hours, boost overtime and hire 35 “emergency temporary helpers” to cope with increased demand for its services as the economy sinks deeper into a recession.
The Missouri Department of Labor said it has extended work hours from 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. - an hour longer than normal - and will have staffers work overtime daily and on Saturdays to keep up with demand. In November, the office received 67,759 claims, up 68 percent from the same month last year.
“We realize it’s been difficult for customers to get through,” said spokeswoman Wanda Seeney. “It’s hard to say ‘be patient’ when people are really depending on those checks.”
While processing time for uncontested claims is unchanged at between 18 and 22 days, claims that require more investigation are stretching out to six or eight weeks.
The Department of Labor encourages first-time claimants to use its website, www.moclaim.com. People who are re-filing or requesting an extension of benefits should phone a regional call center. In the St. Louis area, that number is 314-340-4950. The state also operates a toll-free number, 800-320-2519.
It’s high time for the state of Missouri to get aggressive in bringing in new industry into our state. The increasing numbers of unemployment claims demonstrate that we have the people who can help new companies prosper. We have to make this state a place where new businesses want to set up shop. Tax deferrals, rezoning and discounted land purchases for corporate buildings and factories will take people off of our welfare roles and increase revenues to the state through an increased tax base. Lets evaluate our state’s assets and leverage them to make the state of Missouri one of the most sought out states for business in the country.
Any relation between this and reports that Lee Enterprises will belatedly file its 10-K today?