The Missouri Department of Labor and Industrial Relations says it has processed more than $3.4 billion in unemployment benefit payments to more than 490,000 unemployed Missourians since the pandemic began in March.
According to a news release, the Division of Employment Security saw a 254 percent increase in initial claims compared to all the initial claims it processed in 2019.
The DES says it relied on help from all their program areas, nine other state agencies and outside call vendor help to handle the claims. It also hired temporary and full-time staff to help Missourians process claims.
Future changes are planned to help with claims processing.
