Oregon Employment Department addressing issues with unemployment insurance

OREGON – The Oregon Employment Department (OED) is reporting improvement in its new Frances online system for unemployment insurance benefits.

In April, NBC5 News reported some Oregonians were not receiving their unemployment benefits, experiencing issues with the online system and long wait times over the phone. The OED said they’ve been working to streamline the process.

The department reported the new system paid out over $111 million in benefits. It also said the percentage of people using Frances online to file claims has increased since its launch, from 81% to 93%. The department said it will continue to improve on these concerns by allocating overtime for employees, from 400 to 600 hours per week and expanding support.

Unemployment Insurance Director, Lindsi Leahy said in a statement,

“We know how important the UI program is to Oregonians and that our work is not done. We are committed to continuous improvement and to keeping the public informed on our challenges, opportunities, and progress.”

For more information, visit the Oregon Employment Department website.