Unemployment office prepares for claims crush

Monday, Sept. 24, 2001 | 9:17 a.m.

CARSON CITY -- The state Division of Employment Security is preparing for a crush of jobless claims from Nevadans laid off because of a downturn in the economy since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

Though few casino properties have disclosed the actual number of workers they've laid off since the attacks, the total runs into the thousands.

There was a "significant increase" in unemployment claims last week, Division Administrator Birgit Baker said, but she didn't expect to have exact numbers until the end of this week.

The telephone claim centers in Las Vegas and Carson City will stay open an extra two hours during the weekdays, from 5 to 7 p.m. About 20 extra workers will be hired and additional telephone lines will be installed to handle the increase in business, Baker said.

The offices will be open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturdays with volunteers until she can get the added staff, she said.

Unemployment claims are filed only by telephone now. The number in Las Vegas is (702) 486-0350 and in Carson City it is (775) 684-0350.

If a claimant calls Las Vegas and the lines are busy, the call will automatically ring in the Carson City center, which will take the information.

Baker noted that even with the boost in staffing, residents may find some delays and she asked people to be patient.

But laid-off workers won't lose benefits because of a delay caused by busy phone lines. "We will allow backdating of claims to Sept. 11, where appropriate," she said.

When businesses lay off large number of employees, rapid response teams from the state will conduct on-site claims filing for the workers, Baker said.

If there are no questions about eligibility, a person should have the first unemployment check within two weeks after filing the claim.

The maximum benefit is $301 per week.

The division also has Job Link offices to help with job searches and referrals, to offer counseling, skill assessment and testing, to determine if a person is eligible for job skills training and to provide labor market information.