WYOMING — Economic conditions may get worse before they get better, but for those finding themselves suddenly out of work in Wyoming due to COVID, the news is not all bad.

According to a recent report from the Tax Foundation, the state is well hedged, financially, for paying claims far into the future.

Tax Foundation found Wyoming’s unemployment compensation fund is the healthiest in the country, much of that attributable to the state’s fiscal responsibility.

Department of Workforce Services (DWS) director Robin Sessions Cooley acknowledges it has probably been tough getting through to the department, especially on the phone. Long waits and busy signals are the result of a quadrupling of claims filed as the Unemployment Insurance (UI) Division has been understandably overwhelmed.

“DWS staff have been working day and night to process claims as quickly as possible,“ Cooley said. “At this time, Wyoming 92s Workforce Centers are the only open centers in the country. They are serving laid-off workers with job matching, training opportunities, and unemployment benefit help. Businesses are receiving assistance with rapid response services, layoff aversion grants and job matching.”

DWS is wading through federal red tape to assist in deploying coronavirus stimulus package aid since it was approved on March 27.

“I have concerns about the ability to deploy this assistance as quickly as Wyoming people need it. We know these funds need to be sent straightaway,” Cooley admitted. “Delays in guidance from the U.S. Department of Labor and now developing and coding a complex new program to administer millions of dollars in funding are challenging DWS staff at this time.”

Besides sheer volume jumps, claims processing has also been hampered by the number of new applicants, Cooley said. They don’t know their way around the process and everything takes longer.

A new process, launched last week, is meant to reduce the volume of calls to the call center by taking claims on specific days, based on the claimant’s last name. This alphabetical sorting system is applicable only to claims called in by phone or in person at the Workforce Centers. Claims filed online can be made anytime.

For claims by phone, people should call (307) 473-3789.

  • Claimant 92s last name begins with A-M: file claims on Monday, Wednesday or before noon on Friday
  • Claimant 92s last name begins with N-Z: file claims on Tuesday, Thursday or after noon on Friday.

For DWS, help is on the way. DWS received Department of Labor approval to redeploy eight individuals from one unit (the office that traditionally handles quality control) to the claims unit to assist in processing the increased claims.

“We also have a number of individuals in other units of the office that have UI experience, and to the extent we are able, we are redeploying those people to the UI unit to assist,” Cooley said.

Additionally, DWS has hired five temporary employees to assist with claim load. The department has also added additional telephone lines and rerouted other agencies phone lines to free up lines for UI calls.

Finally, DWS is looking into bringing on a third-party call center to further assist with the influx of calls for unemployment benefits.

A reminder, though, DWS stresses that people should always file online rather than by phone as there is no wait time for online claims.