By Howard Fischer
Capitol Media Services
PHOENIX -- Another 24,723 Arizonans filed first-time claims for unemployment benefits this past week.
The addition brings the total since the COVID-19 outbreak and the limits imposed by Gov. Doug Ducey on the Arizona economy and travel to 601.518. That amounts to 17 percent of the total state workforce.
Still in question is whether the numbers actually reflect all those who are out of work.
Brett Bezio, spokesman for the Department of Economic Security, said throughout this month his agency has seen an average of 7,200 calls answered each day.
Only thing is, Bezio acknowledged to Capitol Media Services that DES is getting anywhere from 70,000 to 120,000 calls per day, whether from those seeking to apply or those seeking to renew benefits. Put another way, the agency is able to get to only one call out of 10 that is coming in.
Bezio said efforts are underway to improve the situation.
"We have expanded our unemployment insurance team substantially to nearly 700,'' he said. "We will continue to grow our team to ensure we can provide applicants with the assistance they need.''
And, in a bid to deal with the crush, DES opened its call center this past Sunday and Monday, even with the latter being a holiday.
Meanwhile, the agency is still playing catch-up with the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance program.
That is the special $600-a-week coverage available for those who are ineligible for regular state jobless benefits, including the self-employed and workers in the "gig'' environment like Uber drivers.
While people have been eligible for the PUA payments now for months, the state has been slow in actually setting up a process for applications. Michael Wisehart, the agency's deputy director of employment and relief services, said the system set up to handle regular unemployment claims would not work for those in the PUA program.
So the state had to hire an outside firm to set up a separate system. And that did not go online until early this month.
Even then, the state was only paying for the prior three weeks. Now, DES is informing eligible recipients they can now seek benefits retroactively as far back as Feb. 2.
Ducey has dissolved his stay-at-home order.
But business -- and employment -- remains far from normal as restrictions remain on the number of customers who can go into restaurants, gyms and malls at any one time. At the same time people may not be willing to go out until they feel safe.
Week ending / Initial claims / continued claims
Jan. 4 / 3,132 / 17,991
Jan. 11 / 4,654 / 18,259
Jan. 18 / 4,152 / 18,421
Jan. 25 / 3,475 / 18,401
Feb. 1 / 3,087 / 18,854
Feb. 8 / 3,636 / 18,461
Feb. 15 / 3,538 / 18,516
Feb. 22 / 3,151 / 18,217
Feb. 29 / 3,086 / 18,137
Mar. 7 / 3,357 / 17,593
Mar. 14 / 3,844 / 17,595
Mar. 21 / 29,348 / 18,108
Mar. 28 / 88,688 / 26,381
Apr. 4 / 132,382 / 62,566
Apr. 11 / 95,495 / 120,452
Apr. 18 / 72,433 / 170,200
Apr. 25 / 52,529 / 196,272
May 2 / 42,955 / 218,541
May 9 / 31,032 / 228,581
May 16 / 31,933 / 229,947
May 23 / 24,723 / 277,854
-- Source: Arizona Department of Economic Security