On Tuesday, Wisconsin’s Assembly Republicans — led by Speaker Robin Vos — introduced a one hundred million dollar coronavirus relief package. One of the central pillars of the package seeks to reduce the state’s Unemployment Insurance backlog — an issue the state’s Department of Workforce Development has spent months trying to solve. For more on […]
Evers Forces DWD Secretary to Resign as Unemployment Claims Pile Up
The head of the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development, Caleb Frostman, resigned on Friday. His resignation came at the request of Governor Tony Evers, as the Department has struggled since March to keep up with processing unemployment claims. The head of the state Department of Workforce Development, Secretary Caleb Frostman, has been effectively fired by […]
Delays, Denials in Wisconsin Unemployment
The Department of Workforce Development (DWD) announced July 8 that it would triple the number of staff, enabling the department to increase the rate at which calls are answered and claims decided. DWD also expanded its hours of operation. On weekdays, from 6:15 am to 5:30 pm staff in the help center will take calls. […]
Dated technology, infrastructure delaying Wisconsin unemployment claim...
Since the beginning of the pandemic, the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development has faced criticism for long delays in delivering unemployment benefits. In April, Wisconsin hit a record unemployment rate of over 14%. That’s approaching numbers last seen during the Great Depression, according to DWD Chief Economist Dennis Winters. More than 728,000 unemployment claims have […]
Wisconsin Could Lose Many Businesses if Shutdown Goes on too Long
A study conducted at the beginning of April found that more than one third of Wisconsin’s businesses could end up closing their doors if the shutdown continues for three months. The study was conducted by Wisconsin’s Economic Region Partnerships as well as the Wisconsin Economic Development Corp and the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh. The study […]
Seeking Answers: Madison Residents Face Uncertainty in Unemployment
Last week, nearly 70,000 Wisconsinites applied for unemployment insurance as many businesses have begun to close in order to slow the spread of COVID-19. Last year, just over 5,200 residents applied for unemployment over the same week. And just yesterday, 10,872 people filed for unemployment in Wisconsin, nearly 10,000 more than did on that date […]
