NewsroomPress releases from Geographic Solutions and news about our clients' siteshttps://www.geographicsolutions.com/News-Events/NewsroomAt Least 5 States Start Paying $300 Unemployment Boosthttps://www.geographicsolutions.com/News-Events/Newsroom/PostId/253/at-least-5-states-start-paying-300-unemployment-boostGeographic Solutions Unemployment System,Pandemic Unemployment Assistance,Unemployment InsuranceFri, 28 Aug 2020 20:10:00 GMT<p>At least five states have begun paying out a <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2020/08/13/waiting-on-that-extra-400-unemployment-benefit-heres-what-we-know.html">federal boost to weekly unemployment benefits</a>. Others have signaled they’ll do so within days.</p> <p>Arizona, Louisiana, Missouri, Tennessee and Texas are the first states to disburse the aid, a $300-a-week increase in jobless benefits. (States could choose to kick in an additional $100 a week, but <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2020/08/20/will-it-be-an-extra-300-or-400-unemployment-benefit-it-depends.html">most have opted against it</a>.)</p> <p>It’s been nearly three weeks since President Trump signed an executive measure creating the Lost Wages Assistance program.</p> <p>Read the full article at <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2020/08/27/at-least-5-states-start-paying-300-unemployment-boost.html">www.cnbc.com</a>.<br />  </p> 253Over 522,000 Louisiana Residents Have Received Unemployment Benefits Since Pandemic Startedhttps://www.geographicsolutions.com/News-Events/Newsroom/PostId/252/over-522000-louisiana-residents-have-received-unemployment-benefits-since-pandemic-startedEconomic Recovery,Geographic Solutions Unemployment System,Pandemic Unemployment Assistance,Unemployment InsuranceMon, 08 Jun 2020 19:31:00 GMT<p>View the original video and article at <a href="https://www.wbrz.com/news/over-522-000-louisianians-have-received-unemployment-benefits-since-pandemic-start">www.wbrz.com</a>.</p> <p>The U.S. jobless rate dropped to 13.3 percent in May, down from a record high in April. As the state moves into Phase Two of reopening, the Louisiana Workforce Commission says the unemployment numbers are also down in Louisiana, but new claims are still being made.</p> <p>The Louisiana Workforce Commission says it's paid $2.5 billion to over 522,000 Louisiana residents who filed for unemployment from March 21 to now.</p> <p>As the LWC continues to navigate record unemployment claims, it's added another role to the mix. The LWC is working to adjudicate claims from employers who say employees are not returning to work. <a href="https://www2.laworks.net/CARESact/UI_ROW_Create.asp">A form on the state's website</a> says employees must file a claim, and in return the employee must explain to the LWC why they're choosing not to return to work. Each case is being looked into.</p> <p>"That's our new challenge, we have to train adjudicators," Wooley said. "The employee may have a legitimate reason for refusing work. It's not cut and dry. Each side gives a reason and we adjudicate each one."</p> 252Guam's Governor Announces Unemployment Programs Open For Applicationshttps://www.geographicsolutions.com/News-Events/Newsroom/PostId/251/guams-governor-announces-unemployment-programs-open-for-applicationsCustom Portals,Geographic Solutions Unemployment System,Pandemic Unemployment Assistance,Product and Site Launches,Unemployment InsuranceTue, 02 Jun 2020 19:26:00 GMT<p>This story originally appears on <a href="https://www.postguam.com/news/local/update-governor-announces-guams-unemployment-programs-open-for-applications/article_37e76694-a39c-11ea-99cb-93213193bf21.html">www.postguam.com</a>.</p> <p>Gov. Lou Leon Guerrero announced Guam's federally funded unemployment aid programs have been launched.</p> <p>Those residents financially effected by the pandemic are now able to file for unemployment benefits. </p> <p>Guam Labor Director David Dell'Isolla counsels patience as the more than 22,000 residents file jobless claims. Residents without a computer with an internet connection may visit their mayoral offices for assistance in filing. </p> <p>Guam Labor contracted Florida-based Geographic Solutions for the computer system that runs the unemployment benefits program, which is integrated in <a href="http://hireguam.com/">www.hireguam.com</a>. The software is key to the local rollout of the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance and the Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation programs. </p> <p>The U.S. Department of Labor released an initial allotment of $276 million to Guam Labor.</p> 251Arizona PUA Portal Helps State Pay Half a Billion Dollars in Jobless Benefits, Shrinks Backloghttps://www.geographicsolutions.com/News-Events/Newsroom/PostId/185/arizona-pua-portal-helps-state-pay-half-a-billion-dollars-in-jobless-benefits-shrinks-backlogClient News,Pandemic Unemployment AssistanceTue, 19 May 2020 12:02:00 GMT<p><em>Article first appeared at <a href="https://www.azcentral.com/story/money/business/consumers/2020/05/18/coronavirus-arizona-department-economic-security-unemployment-benefits/5217592002/">azcentral.com</a>.</em></p> <p>Arizona paid more than half a billion dollars in jobless benefits last week as the Department of Economic Security caught up with weeks worth of retroactive benefits for thousands of self-employed people, contractors, and others who don't normally qualify for assistance.</p> <p>The $519 million in total benefits paid to 468,000 people easily eclipsed the prior week's $160 million in payments as the DES compensates the crush of applicants who have lost jobs because of the coronavirus pandemic.</p> <p>Prior to the pandemic, and Congress adding $600 a week to benefits across the country, Arizona paid about $3 million a week in jobless benefits and saw abut 4,000 new applications.</p> <p>DES last week began reviewing applications and making payments to self-employed people, contractors, workers with insufficient earnings history and others through a program called "pandemic unemployment assistance" that Congress approved to deal with the fallout from the pandemic.</p> <p>The department said it approved more than 165,000 people to receive PUA benefits as of last week.</p> 185Nevada Sets Stage for Smoother Unemployment and PUA Claims with New Director, Heather Korbulichttps://www.geographicsolutions.com/News-Events/Newsroom/PostId/186/nevada-sets-stage-for-smoother-unemployment-and-pua-claims-with-new-director-heather-korbulicClient News,Geographic Solutions Unemployment System,Pandemic Unemployment AssistanceTue, 05 May 2020 12:14:00 GMT<p>Nevada Department of Employment, Training and Rehabilitation appoints Heather Korbulic as director. In an interview with the Nevada Independent, Ms. Korbulic addresses issues with the state’s unemployment insurance system being overtaxed with new claims, and announces new call center and software vendors contracted to alleviate the record-shattering number of claims. </p> <p>Read the full article at <a href="https://thenevadaindependent.com/article/indy-qa-new-detr-director-heather-korbulic-on-working-through-huge-backlog-of-unemployment-claims">The Nevada Independent</a>.</p> 186Geographic Solutions’ Unemployment Insurance Software Reaches Record High of $1.284 Billion Year-to-Date Paymentshttps://www.geographicsolutions.com/News-Events/Newsroom/PostId/391/geographic-solutions-unemployment-insurance-software-reaches-record-high-of-1284-billion-year-to-date-paymentsGeographic Solutions Unemployment System,GUS,Pandemic Unemployment AssistanceMon, 27 Apr 2020 14:48:00 GMT<p><strong>PALM HARBOR, FL (April 27, 2020)</strong> – As the COVID-19 pandemic unfolds, our economy is experiencing an unprecedented record number of Americans filing first-time jobless claims. Geographic Solutions, a software development firm who specializes in large-scale workforce development and unemployment insurance systems, has processed and distributed a combined, historic $1.284 billion and counting (year to date) in unemployment compensation payments for clients in Louisiana, Tennessee, and Nebraska.</p> <p>Prior to the pandemic, the Louisiana HiRE unemployment insurance system would process $1.4 Million in claims on an average Monday. To put the influx of compensation payments into perspective, on Monday, April 20, Louisiana’s system processed $205.6 million in claims – providing assistance to close to 220,000 out-of-work individuals. Throughout the remainder of the week, the system processed another $424.3 Million in claims for nearly 778,000 individuals. In total for the business week of April 20-24, the system handled $630, 009,746 in payments to 997,403 individuals.</p> <p>In comparison, the JOBS4TN system processed $550,164,678 in claim payments, offering assistance to 821,191 individuals during the week of April 20-24. Nebraska’s NEworks system followed suit in third place, processing $103,894,609 during that same week for 147,518 claimants.</p> <p>The record peak in payments across the three states is comprised of traditional unemployment claims, expanded Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) Insurance claims, and $600 stimulus stipends distributed as part of the Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation (FPUC) program.  Batch compensations are uploaded nightly as an Automated Clearing House (ACH) file transfer to be paid out in the form of bank direct deposits, debit cards, and printed checks. The most widely-used method of payment for claimants is direct deposit.</p> <p>Weekly certification claims are accepted seven days a week on all of Geographic Solutions’ unemployment compensation systems, however most individuals who file their certifications do so on Sunday or Monday of each week – with the number of claims steadily decreasing as the week progresses. Payment transfers are processed each night. So for example, individuals who enter their weekly certifications on Sunday should receive a processed payment by Monday night.</p> <p>With the nation unable to stabilize the public health crisis, many companies large and small have no option but to temporarily close, furlough workers, or eliminate positions all together. As a result, many states across the country struggle to alleviate traffic bottlenecks on unemployment insurance websites, handle the intake of Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) claims, and the distribution of benefits in a timely manner. Guided by Geographic Solutions’ around-the-clock support, Louisiana, Tennessee, and Nebraska have been able to handle the upswing in traffic, highlighting their systems’ flexibility, resilience, and reliability.<br />  </p> 391Geographic Solutions' PUA Software Offers Relief States Managing Pandemic Unemployment Assistancehttps://www.geographicsolutions.com/News-Events/Newsroom/PostId/74/geographic-solutions-pua-software-offers-relief-states-managing-pandemic-unemployment-assistanceCustom Portals,Disaster Recovery,ReemploymentFri, 17 Apr 2020 19:33:00 GMT<p><strong>PALM HARBOR, FL (April 17, 2020)</strong> – As the COVID-19 pandemic unfolds, our economy is experiencing an unprecedented crisis as a record number of Americans are filing first-time jobless claims.  As a result, states across the country struggle to alleviate website traffic bottlenecks, the intake of Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) claims, and the distribution of benefits in a timely manner. Traditional unemployment systems are not equipped to collect and process claims for pandemic assistance, nor do they take special consideration for those not usually covered under traditional unemployment insurance parameters, such as self-employed or season workers.</p> <p>Software development firm Geographic Solutions, draws on extensive experience providing unemployment insurance solutions and disaster assistance to states such as Louisiana, Florida, and Tennessee during disaster relief efforts that include the Deepwater Horizon Gulf Oil Spill, hurricane loss, wildfires, and widespread flooding. The company quickly modified its Disaster Unemployment Assistance (DUA) solution to process PUA claim filings.</p> <p>The company’s PUA solution includes functionality to process new PUA declarations, declaration amendments, and abides by parameters governing PUA benefits. The system also generates data utilized in FEMA's Disaster Automated Reporting and Information System (DARIS) report. The U.S. Department of Labor requests the DARIS report weekly during a pandemic and its accuracy is pivotal to adequately funding the state.</p> <p>For individuals who have lost employment as a direct result of the COVID-19 pandemic, the PUA solution allows users to file a claim and receive digital documentation of assistance eligibility. It also fully supports a configurable weekly certification. UI staff have the option to access the claim and adjudicate it manually, or the system will automatically adjudicate and resolve any pending issues. Payments can be output to a payment file for the Treasury or as a bank transfer.</p> <p>All of Geographic Solutions’ client sites have seen an influx in user count, site visits, and page views. Tennessee experienced over 46,000 concurrent users and noted 326,295 users as a single-day record—an approximate 1,800% increase in year-over-year statistics. With the support of Geographic Solutions, the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development was able to handle the upswing in traffic to the JOBS4TN website, highlighting the systems’ flexibility, resilience, and reliability.</p> <p>Because of the system’s Commercial-Off-The-Shelf (COTS) configuration, PUA functionality can be rapidly implemented for any state, either as a standalone application or integrated with an existing Virtual OneStop or Geographic Solutions Unemployment System. It can be hosted on premises by Geographic Solutions or in a cloud configuration. For more information on the PUA solution, please contact Deane Toler, Director of Sales and Marketing at 727-786-7955 or DToler@geosolinc.com.<br />  </p> 74