Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, January 14, 1993 TAG: 9301140140
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: B-6 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: GEORGE KEGLEY STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
CHECK DELAY MAY END THIS WEEK
Thousands of state unemployment checks have been held because of a computer glitch in Richmond, a problem that may be solved this week, according to Bruce Johannessen of the Virginia Employment Commission in Roanoke.Technicians in the state's Department of Information Technology "are trying to do everything they possibly can and they hope to clear it up this week," he said Wednesday.
Meanwhile, the VEC's unemployment insurance staff "is crippled" by an inability to respond to telephone inquiries about benefit payments and filing claims because of the computer problem, he said.
The delay "comes at a bad time for us," Johannessen said, because a number of claims for jobless benefits have been filed by workers whose companies closed for as long as two weeks during the Christmas holidays. His Roanoke staff has worked some nights and early mornings to handle local problems, he said.
"We're getting our fair share of calls," Johannessen said. "Most people who draw checks are living close to the edge."
The last VEC monthly report said an average of 220 claims for unemployment benefits were filed each week in November at the Roanoke office, the latest available figure. The number of Roanoke-area residents drawing state jobless benefits in November was 1,987.
Ralph Cantrell, state VEC commissioner, asked for the public's patience in dealing with the computer-caused problems. J. Westwood Smithers Jr., director of the Information Technology Department, said the problem is temporary and is the agency's "highest priority."
The glitch has worsened in the past week, reducing the availability of useful computer service substantially in the VEC's 42 local unemployment insurance offices.