Coronavirus

Coronavirus Caused Unemployment Stresses State System

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As coronavirus continues to spread in North Texas, restrictions to slow it are costing thousands their jobs.

According to the Texas Workforce Commission, phone calls and visits to their website have skyrocketed.

“On a normal day, we take about 13,000 phone calls in one of our four call centers around the state. On March 22, we took 100,000 calls with the same number of staff,” Executive Director Ed Serna said in a Facebook live.

The TWC says it plans to hire 100 new staff and remain open on Saturdays. During a Facebook live Wednesday, Serna said they also plan to loosen requirements for those impacted by COVID-19, which includes eliminating the week-long waiting period for unemployment and the requirement that applicants prove they are looking for a job.

“I have a lot of experience in the hospitality industry but how well that applies to stocking warehouses, it’s all kind of up in the air right now,” Christian Meyer, who was just laid off from his restaurant job said.

Meyer said he is applying for various jobs and has done a few interviews but so far hasn’t found anything.

“I don’t think anyone was prepared for something like this,” Meyer said.

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