Gov. Beshear provided information about the administration’s latest moves to address the unprecedented number of unemployment insurance claims brought on by the global pandemic.

“We continue to face difficulties with our unemployment system, due to it being starved of funds and outdated in the past,” the Governor said. “That is making our job of processing a record number of claims very hard.”

As he explained last week, Gov. Beshear noted that the state’s unemployment office budget went from $41 million in 2010 to $25 million in 2018; in addition, in 2017, the state cut 22 of 51 local unemployment offices and 95 employees. These financial, geographic and staffing challenges have made it more difficult to provide in-person services throughout the commonwealth, but the Governor said he was determined to find a path forward.

“We are instituting three major changes to improve the unemployment claims processing system. These include: One, reorganizing the unemployment office and moving it to the Labor Cabinet, which means the entire cabinet will be working day in and out to solve these claims. Two, contracting with an outside vendor to train more claim processors and answer more public questions. Three, adding more in-person services, including out in the counties.”

Gov. Beshear said Labor Cabinet Secretary Larry Roberts is now in charge of the unemployment system and that the state is working to finalize a contract with an outside consulting firm that has experience working with these claims.

In addition, new in-person help soon will be offered outside of Frankfort.

For more information from the Labor Cabinet at the Kentucky Career Center portal, click here.