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>> COVID-19 IS HAVING VERY RAPID
RIPPLE-EFFECT ON INDIANA'S
WORKFORCE. THE NUMBERS ARE
STUNNING. FOR THE WEEK ENDING

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MARCH 28, THERE WERE MORE THAN
120-THOUSAND UNEMPLOYMENT CLAIMS
FILED...TWO WEEKS BEFORE THAT,
THERE WERE JUST 2,300!

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SO, WHAT'S NEXT? AND WHAT DO YOU
NEED TO KNOW IF YOU'VE LOST YOUR
JOB? JOINING US VIA SKYPE IS
A MAN AT THE FOREFRONT OF THE

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INDIANA DEPARTMENT OF WORKFORCE
DEVELOPMENT CHIEF OF STAFF JOSH
RICHARDSON WITH SOME ANSWERS.
WELCOME TO THE PROGRAM.

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>> GOOD TO BE HERE.
>> LET'S START OUT WITH THIS
ENORMOUS RUSH OF PEOPLE INTO THE
SYSTEM. FOLKS WONDERING, ONE, IN

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TERMS OF THE SYSTEM ITSELF, THE
INFRASTRUCTURE, IS IT BUILT TO
HANDLE THIS MUCH INFLUX?
>> RIGHT. SO, THERE ARE A COUPLE

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DIFFERENT COMPONENTS OF THE
INFRASTRUCTURE. ONE IS THE IT
SYSTEM, THAT'S THE MOST
IMPORTANT PART. IN INDIANA,

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WE'VE BEEN TAKING UNEMPLOYMENT
CLAIMS ONLINE NOW FOR MORE THAN
15 YEARS. AND WE'VE UPGRADED
THAT SYSTEM A COUPLE OF

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DIFFERENT TIMES. RIGHT NOW THAT
IT SYSTEM SEEMS TO BE HANDLING
THE INCREASE IN WORK LOAD REALLY
WELL. WE'RE PROCESSING THINGS ON

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TIME. THERE'S BEEN VERY LITTLE
INDICATION THERE'S BEEN ANY
DISRUPTIONS IN SERVICE. THE
OTHER SIDE OF THAT IS MORE THE

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HUMAN SIDE, AND THAT'S ABILITY
TO ANSWER PHONE LINES AND
RESPOND TO PEOPLE'S QUESTIONS.
WE'RE STRUGGLING MORE WITH THAT.

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A FEW WEEKS AGO WE WERE STAFFED
TO BE EFFICIENT FOR RECORD LOW
CLAIMS LEVELS, AND NOW WE'RE
REALLY ON THE OTHER SIDE OF

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THAT. SO WE'RE STRUGGLING THERE,
AND WORKING HARD TO PUT
COMPONENTS IN PLACE TO ANSWER
PEOPLE'S QUESTIONS. YES,

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OVERALL, WE'RE TAKING THE
CLAIMS.
>> SAME QUESTION ON THE
FINANCIAL SIDE. SO MANY PEOPLE

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COMING INTO THE SYSTEM. IS THE
FINANCIAL -- ARE THE FINANCIAL
RESOURCES, WILL THEY BE THERE TO
PAY OUT ALL THE CLAIMS THAT ARE

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GOING TO BE COMING?
>> THEY WILL BE THERE. LONG TIME
VIEWERS OF YOUR SHOW WILL
REMEMBER BACK AROUND THE GREAT

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RECESSION TIME, THE INDIANA
UNEMPLOYMENT AND INSURANCE TRUST
FUND BORROWED MONEY FROM THE
FEDERAL GOVERNMENT IN ORDER TO

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PAY CLAIMS. WE PASSED A MAJOR
LEGISLATION AT THE STATE LEVEL
TO TRY AND ADDRESS THAT, TO FIX
THAT FUND, AND WE'VE BEEN HEADED

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IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION SINCE
2011. AND SO JUST A COUPLE WEEKS
AGO WE WERE AT ABOUT
$860 MILLION IN THAT FUND. THIS

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WILL ABSOLUTELY STRESS THAT
FUND. BUT, THE WAY THAT WE'RE
CERTAINLY IN A BETTER SPOT THAN
WE WERE A FEW YEARS AGO TO BE

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READY FOR SOMETHING LIKE THIS,
IF YOU'RE EVER READY. AND WE
HAVE A STRUCTURALLY STABLE FUND
OF DIGGING BACK OUT AND THE

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FEDERAL GOVERNMENT BACKS THAT
TRUST FUND. SO IF IT WERE TO RUN
OUT OF MONEY, WHICH IS TOO EARLY
TO SAY IT WILL, THE MONEY WOULD

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REMAIN, AND THE ABILITY TO
PROVIDE BENEFITS TO INJURED
WOULD REMAIN.
>> AS WE LOOK AT SO MANY

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HOOSIERS, TENS OF THOUSANDS
WITHOUT A JOB NOW, MANY FOR THE
FIRST TIME, ARE THE THINGS THEY
SHOULD KEEP IN MIND IN TERMS OF

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FILING FOR UNEMPLOYMENT
INSURANCE JUST FROM A PROCEDURAL
STANDPOINT, THE THINGS THAT THEY
NEED TO DO HAVING EXPERIENCED

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THIS FOR THE FIRST TIME MANY OF
THEM?
>> AND WE'RE ABSOLUTELY SEEING A
LOT OF THAT. PEOPLE WHO HAVE

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NEVER USED THE SYSTEM OR A VERY
LONG TIME SINCE THEY'VE USED THE
SYSTEM. ONE, THEY NEED TO KNOW
THIS IS A MODERNIZED SYSTEM.

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THEY DON'T HAVE TO GO ANYWHERE
TO DO THIS. THEY CAN DO IT FROM
THEIR HOME COMPUTER, A TABLET OR
A SMARTPHONE. THEY CAN FIND

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RESOURCES ON THE WEBSITE, ANSWER
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS, TO
PROVIDE INFORMATION ABOUT
BENEFITS IN GENERAL. AND ALSO,

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THEY CAN FIND THE LINK THERE TO
FILE THE APPLICATION. A COUPLE
THINGS TO REMEMBER, OUR PROCESS
TAKES ABOUT 21 DAYS FROM THE

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TIME SOMEONE'S FILED BEFORE THEY
SHOULD EXPECT THAT FIRST
PAYMENT. IN THESE HIGH ANXIETY
TIMES WE HAVE PEOPLE FINISHING

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THAT CLAIM AND IMMEDIATELY
CALLING. IT IS A SYSTEM SET UP
TO SERVE PEOPLE, MUCH OF IT
AUTOMATED. WE'VE LEARNED A LOT

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OF LESSONS, AND WE'RE CONFIDENT
THAT A HIGH PERSONAL OF PEOPLE
WILL RECEIVE THAT COMPENSATION
IN 21 DAYS OR LESS.

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>> JOSH, FINAL QUESTION, VIRTUAL
JOB FAIRS, I KNOW DWD IS GETTING
INVOLVED IN PUTTING TOGETHER
THESE VIRTUAL JOB FAIRS FOR

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FOLKS LOOKING FOR WORK.
>> THAT'S BEEN SOMETHING WE'VE
BEEN UP TO, WHETHER IT'S THE
ECONOMY IS ROARING STRONG LIKE

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IT WAS A FEW WEEKS AGO, OR
WHETHER WE'RE BEING CHALLENGED
BY ONE OF THESE EVENTS, WE'RE
ALWAYS WORKING TO TRY AND MAKE

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SURE WE'RE PROVIDING
OPPORTUNITIES FOR HOOSIERS TO
ADVANCE THEIR CAREERS AND
INCREASE THEIR EARNINGS, WE

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ACTUALLY HAVE WEBINARS THAT ARE
ALREADY SCHEDULED, IN PROCESS,
WE KNOW EMPLOYERS AROUND THE
STATE ARE LOOKING NOW AND SOON

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BE LOOKING AGAIN, AS WE MOVE ON
TO HIRE HOOSIERS AGAIN. SO THE
DEPARTMENT WILL BE THERE TO DO
THAT. AND THEY CAN ALSO FIND

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THOSE RESOURCES ON OUR WEBSITE.
>> JOSH RICHARDSON, THE CHIEF OF
STAFF AT THE INDIANA DEPARTMENT
OF WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT. JOSH,