It's the uncertainty that causes Harold Dallmann to choke up lately.
The 59-year-old man lost his job as a mental health professional in Moose Lake in December. He moved to St. Cloud to find work and be near his wife, whom he married in December.
Dallmann immediately applied online for unemployment benefits from the Department of Employment and Economic Development. It took about four weeks for the state to notify him that he wouldn't be eligible for the benefits.
It was another struggle as he tried to place an appeal online. He quit trying after he was confused by how to log on to that system and decided instead to fax the appeal this week.
He heard from state officials that a 10-inch stack of claims is waiting to be entered into the system.
About 182,000 Minnesotans were paid $720 million in jobless benefits in 2007, up from 175,000 people and $686 million in benefits in 2006.
"It's an incredibly emotional bubble," Dallmann said. "It's difficult not to know."
Dallmann is one of the thousands of Minnesotans seeking jobless benefits in an online computerized claims system that DEED launched in October. Since its inception, the jobless have logged numerous complaints about the system, including frustration with long waits, delayed checks and confusing questions.
The state department says it has been working to resolve those problems and that it added staff to help ease the transition.
The complaints
The $42 million revamp of the online jobless benefits program was intended to replace DEED's aging system, which included applying via telephone, online and paper. The online system was created to help eliminate paper forms, allow the unemployed to get checks faster and allow for better accuracy and faster verification.
Instead, when the system was launched, the ability for the unemployed to apply for benefits weekly rather than every two weeks doubled the traffic on the online program, and people asking for help overloaded the phone system.
"Because the format was new, people would want to talk to someone," said Linda Yozamp, area manager of St. Cloud's Minnesota WorkForce Center and Job Service. "Not everyone was used to using the computer and not everybody had a computer at home."
Mending the pains
DEED has heard the problems and is working to solve them, DEED spokeswoman Kirsten Morell said.
"We take this situation very seriously ...," Morell said. "Like all new technology, there is going to be a learning curve."
It added more than 44 phone lines in January to ease the stress, bringing the total to 368. Waits have decreased from two hours to just five minutes in the past week, said Rod Kragness, a Minnesota WorkForce Center representative who specializes in unemployment.
"People got frustrated with the system and just gave up," Kragness said. "I'm not sure if they came back, but I'd hope that they did."
DEED employees also had to bear the brunt of the online system's issues, working 10-hour days and weekends to get caught up on claims, said Jim Monroe, executive director of Minnesota Association of Professional Employees.
The association represents professional employees in Minnesota, including employees in the DEED call centers.
Monroe met with DEED officials in late December to discuss the issues, expressing concern because of the lack of testing for the system before it was implemented and the overload of work for DEED employees.
"It's really sad the people got hurt for this," Monroe said. "By everybody working together, I hope that we weather this storm and that we don't stumble again."
The Minnesota WorkForce Center in St. Cloud added two people to help specifically with unemployment insurance, in addition to the two permanent workers who have been stationed in its resource center. It rotates a person to help with unemployment claims at its Monticello, Litchfield and Cambridge locations, Yozamp said.
Despite recent issues, the online system has eased some past problems, Kragness said.
Extra efforts
The winter months are traditionally the busiest time for unemployment claims, as seasonal workers are laid off, Morell said. Weeks of benefits requested jump from 40,000 in November to about 85,000 in January.
DEED opened the online system for access on Sundays through January and has paid DEED employees overtime to help with the increase. The department also has hired 32 extra customer service representatives. It is considering revising questions in the online system so they are more precise and cause less confusion for applicants.
"This system was going to be a major undertaking ...," Morell said. "We're very sympathetic to what our customers are going through, and we are working through those issues. It's very much a top priority for us here."
Meanwhile, Dallmann now spends his days — 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. — at the WorkForce Center, where he attends classes, updates his resume and waits to hear if he qualifies for unemployment benefits.
He has set aside about 60 days worth of living expenses, but hopes that he will find a job before burning through it.
"At 59 years old, I thought I would be looking to play with my grandchildren and going ice fishing ...," Dallmann said. "Now my objective is to get my unemployment figured out and get back some self-esteem."
Need a job?
What: Free weekly workshops on resumes, career exploration, financial help, finding a job after age 40 and interviews.
Where: Minnesota WorkForce Center-St. Cloud, 1542 Northway Drive, Door 2.
Info: Call 308-5320.
Job numbers drop:
The number of jobs nationwide declined 17,000 in January, the most rapid drop in more than four years.
State jobless facts:
$320: Average weekly benefit payment.
14,238: Construction industry’s December claims, largest category.
3,467: Central Minnesota’s December claims.
40 to 49: Age group with the most claims.
Source: Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development.
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