ORLANDO, Fla. – Jobless claims now exceed more than 16 million across the United States as shutdowns from the coronavirus pandemic widen and problems with getting benefits persists. In Florida, more than 472,000 claims have been filed, according to the Department of Labor, but that number represents a period before the state revamped its entire unemployment website and expanded its use of paper applications. News 6 investigator Mike DeForest has been covering the unemployment angle since the pandemic forced non-essential businesses to shutdown. He sat down with anchor Justin Warmoth on “The Weekly on ClickOrlando.com ” to discuss how the state has adjusted to the massive influx of claims and when those benefits could get into the hands of those affected. “It’s not like the old days where there was an unemployment office where you could go wait in line and talk to a human being,” DeForest said. “People have spent hours on the phone, on the internet, and can’t get through.” To keep up with the latest news on the pandemic , subscribe to News 6′s coronavirus newsletter or go to ClickOrlando.com/coronavirus .
