The Massachusetts Department of Unemployment Assistance is holding a series of virtual town halls to better meet the needs of people whose employment has been affected by the coronavirus.
Unemployment claims have increased exponentially, according to the U.S. Department of Labor.
The federal agency listed 7,449 non-seasonally adjusted advanced claims in Massachusetts during the week ending March 14 and 147,995 during the week ending March 21 — a nearly twenty-fold increase.
The town hall is offered both by phone and online. To join by phone or online, people must sign up here. Designated times are:
- Sunday, March 29, 2020 at 12:00 pm
- Monday, March 30, 2020 at 2:05 pm
- Tuesday, March 31, 2020 at 1:45 pm
- Wednesday, April 1, 2020 at 2:00 pm
- Thursday, April 2, 2020 at 2:10 pm
- Friday, April 3, 2020 at 2:00 pm
For people joining by phone, press *3 to ask a question and a live person will put your question in the queue. Online viewers will see a PowerPoint presentation with visuals to accompany the discussion. Enroll by 5:30 pm the night before in order to receive a call.
A daily visual unemployment presentation can be viewed here. The step-by-step process for filing for unemployment can be found here.
