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A handful of tech companies, highlighted by Google, teamed up to help the New York State Department of Labor’s online unemployment application page, which has been overwhelmed since the outbreak of COVID-19.
The Department of Labor has seen an unprecedented spike in unemployment insurance applications during the pandemic, which has caused the online and telephone system to crash, prompting officials to enter a “Tech Surge” with Google Cloud, Deloitte, and Verizon.
The new online portal for unemployment applications is powered by Google’s cloud services and is capable of handling a larger volume of users than the previous application.
The “Tech Surge” will include upgrades to the Department of Labor’s technology systems and will increase its capacity to accept and process applications, making it easier to apply for benefits.
“Since the COVID-19 pandemic began, the New York State Department of Labor’s unemployment insurance filing system has faced an unprecedented increase in volume — with peak weeks seeing a 16,000 percent increase in phone calls and a 1,600 percent increase in web traffic, compared to a typical week,” the New York Department of Labor said in a press release this week.
The new website was expected to go live as of Friday, April 10, when the Department of Labor will also roll out a new “call back” system, allowing their staff to proactively call New Yorkers who need to submit additional information to support their existing unemployment assistance application.
“I recognize that this is an extremely challenging time for all New Yorkers,” NYS Department of Labor Commissioner Roberta Reardon said. “I have been unemployed. I understand the urgency. We want you to be aware of the steps that we are taking to respond to each of you, as quickly as we can. We know that your livelihood depends on it and we assure you that you will get your benefits.”
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