The Maryland Department of Labor Division of Unemployment Insurance saw a total number of 108,508 new insurance claims for the week of April 4. This number is a spike of 29% from last week's numbers and call center hours and operations are not able to handle the spike. Unemployment insurance claim numbers are increasing in an unprecedented manner given the Coronavirus pandemic across states. While the department has taken measures to address this by asking citizens to submit claims based on their names and days of week, it is also urging people to file claims online. 

The Department is also implementing new technology to address some of these issues one of them being chat.

Sagitec will implement a live chat app for the Maryland Department of Labor in June 2020.  The live chat functionality will allow Maryland’s 150,000 Employers and Third Party Administrators and 225,000 active Claimants (as of April 3, 2020) to communicate directly with agency staff using their laptops, or personal computers. 

The live chat functionality will be available from multiple portals within the agency’s website.  It will reduce phone calls, paper correspondence and emails to the agency and allow the Agency’s customers to get their inquiries answered in real time rather waiting for a response to an email or letter. 

The chat application will expand the number of customers the agency staff can serve as well.  Typically with a telephone system an agent can only assist one customer at a time, but the chat application allows one staff member to interact with multiple customers simultaneously.  This allows for expanded service while not increasing staffing costs.

Sagitec has many solutions that can help your unemployment insurance tax and benefits administration. Want to find out how technology can help your agency? Click the link below: