2 Months After Testa/Doherty Call to Reopen In-Person Unemployment Centers, Crickets from Murphy Administration

Some Unemployed Workers Waiting Since March for Benefits

Senator Michael Testa and Senator Michael Doherty reiterated their call for Governor Murphy to reopen the New Jersey Department of Labor’s (DOL) in-person unemployment offices to better serve residents who lost their jobs due to the economic impact of COVID-19 and lockdown orders issued by the administration.

Sen. Michael Testa and Sen. Michael Doherty reiterated their call for Gov. Murphy to reopen the DOL’s in-person unemployment offices to better serve residents who lost their jobs. (SenateNJ.com)

“It’s been two months since we requested that the Murphy Administration open unemployment offices for walk-in service, yet there’s still no movement to better serve out-of-work New Jerseyans,” said Testa (R-1). “Our neighbors and friends who have not seen a paycheck since the shutdown began four months ago are racking up credit card debt and draining their bank accounts to survive. It’s clear that trying to obtain unemployment benefits remotely is not working for many people, and struggling New Jersey families cannot afford to wait any longer.”

In early May, both Testa and Doherty called for Gov. Murphy to reopen New Jersey’s One-Stop Career Centers. In-person unemployment services were suspended in March due to the COVID-19 shutdown.

The senators noted that Senate Majority Leader Senator Loretta Weinberg, Assembly Speaker Pro Tempore Assemblyman Gordon Johnson and Assembly Deputy Speaker Assemblywoman Valerie Huttle have also called on the DOL commissioner to set up an in-person offices to better assist with unemployment claims.

“Many unemployed New Jerseyans who are trying to get their claims resolved have reached the limit of what they can do online or over the phone,” said Doherty (R-23). “The governor should listen to calls from both Republican and Democrat legislators who have asked him privately and publicly to open unemployment officers for walk-in services. If residents can now go the MVC, they also should be able to sit down with someone at an unemployment office to quickly resolve whatever issues are preventing their claims from being approved.”