South Dakota’s Labor and Regulation Department is scrambling to handle a sudden surge in unemployment claims because of economic fallout from the coronavirus pandemic.
Phone calls about unemployment benefits in South Dakota go to a call center in Aberdeen. Eleven people work there. So many calls are coming this week that the state is shifting five more employees over to help answer phones. Another four employees are being moved over to help with online claims, which are also processed there.
Still, so many people are calling that the wait time on the phone is about an hour, said Dawn Dovre of the Department of Labor and Regulation. She’s encouraging people to file online if possible.
“Anecdotally, I would say the people filing claims related to COVID-19 have not had to file for unemployment insurance before, and so we’re spending extra time with them to make sure that they understand the requirements, and that we can help explain eligibility to them,” Dovre said.
The cause of the surging unemployment claims is a sudden economic shock from the spread of COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus. As people heed advice to stay home and avoid gathering places like shops, restaurants, theaters and concerts, the effects of the downturn in economic activity are rolling quickly through the economy. The U.S. Department of Labor said unemployment claims rose 33 percent nationwide last week. Dovre said state numbers aren’t compiled yet.
In South Dakota, employers pay taxes to an unemployment trust fund. Anyone who’s out of work through no fault of their own can apply for benefits from the fund. In the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, Dovre said eligible people could include those who’ve been quarantined or sent home temporarily without pay, or those who’ve been laid off. The Department of Labor and Regulation has a page on its website explaining scenarios under which people might be eligible for benefits.
Eligible workers can receive payments up to 48 percent of their former wage, Dovre said, to a maximum of $414 per week. The payments can last up to 26 weeks.
The phone number to file a claim in South Dakota is (605) 626-2452. But again, online filing is encouraged to reduce call wait times. The website is RAclaims.sd.gov. The “RA” stands for Reemployment Assistance, which is the official name of the state’s unemployment program.
People could normally go to one of the state’s local Job Service offices for help filing a claim, but those offices are closed to help slow the spread of the coronavirus.
Employers who have questions about unemployment benefits are encouraged to send emails to DLRRADivision@state.sd.us rather than call, to avoid tying up phone lines.
