Unemployed can’t reach operators to renew benefits

Tennessee does not have enough phone lines to handle calls about unemployment benefits and many people are frustrated.
Richard Thomas told The Jackson Sun he memorized the Tennessee Unemployment Insurance Claims hot line number after three days of calling it repeatedly to try to renew his unemployment benefits.
Every time he called, he got a busy signal or an automated recording saying no one was able to take his call due to the high call volume.
“By the end, I was yelling at the phone, ‘Just let me talk to a person!’’’ 57-year-old Thomas said. “It was so frustrating.’’
Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development spokesman Jeff Hentschel said the department is aware of the difficulty.
Tennessee has five call centers with about 300 telephone lines, he said. The department is using stimulus money to install a new phone system, but it won’t be running until the spring.