Some Democratic lawmakers are trying to make changes to the state’s unemployment system.
Sen. Dave Hansen of Green Bay is proposing to permanently eliminate the one-week waiting period to receive benefits. The rule is on hold during the pandemic.
Hansen believes the Department of Workforce Development is doing as much as possible to process claims. He says they’re working with an outdated system, and they’ve added more workers.
The Evers administration is sending another 100 state workers to the agency. The staff will grow to more than 1,800, and that’s compared to 500 at the start of the pandemic.
Some of the bills would reduce the required work searches from four to two per week, and let the agency waive that requirement in more cases.
