08/30/2022
CT Department of Labor Update on ReEmployCT
(Wethersfield, CT) – Two months after the launch of ReEmployCT, Connecticut Department of Labor (CTDOL) Commissioner Danté Bartolomeo released updates on the state’s new unemployment and tax system. Since its launch on July 5, 2022, ReEmployCT has disbursed $72 million in unemployment benefits and currently has more than 25,500 weekly unemployment filers. ReEmployCT has detected and prevented nearly 39,000 fraud claims, protecting approximately $135 million in unemployment funds from theft.
Commissioner Bartolomeo said, “This has been a challenging but productive two months for ReEmployCT and CTDOL. ReEmployCT was a big change for the agency and system users, but it was a critical one given that the old system was quite literally falling apart and no longer salvageable. ReEmployCT is already an asset to the state, ensuring those who are eligible get unemployment benefits and shielding approximately $135 million from criminals. Simply put, ReEmployCT is a strong and stable system that helps CTDOL do our job. We’re thankful for the support that Governor Lamont, state officials, our agency partners, and many employers and filers have lent throughout this transition.”
ReEmployCT, a coalition system that replaced Connecticut’s 40-year-old unemployment system, improves how the state handles unemployment. Claimants now have 24/7 availability to file an application; online services that replace mail and fax for claimants and employers; and technical functions speed up claims processing while bolstering system integrity against fraud.
CTDOL Deputy Commissioner Daryle Dudzinski said, “Connecticut is one of the states working directly with employers when claims come in. The earlier employers are notified, the faster they can validate or protest the claim. Protecting the Unemployment Trust Fund from fraud protects Connecticut’s employers who finance the Trust Fund.”
ReEmployCT technology gives employers real-time notification of the claims being filed against them, a major component in identifying imposter claims—unemployment claims that are filed by criminals using stolen identities. The faster notification also helps reduce the likelihood of non-fraud overpayments.
The Consumer Contact Center, which added staff and hours in July to handle the ReEmployCT launch volume, has managed more than 140,000 calls and cases over the past eight weeks. The Contact Center encourages filers to use the online scheduling feature for same- or next-day appointments and has released tips for filers.
CTDOL Consumer Contact Center Director Angel Rivera said, “ReEmployCT was a learning curve, but now people know the system; they’ve created their accounts and done their weekly certification. Early on we started to see a lot of new claims come in, that’s very unusual for July. We realized that weekly filers were opening brand new claims instead of completing their weekly certifications. After people went through it once, they were fine. In ReEmployCT, filers don’t have to wait for staff assistance if they miss a week, so that is easier for them as well.”
Employers were granted a 30-day extension for quarterly filing to give them time to learn the new system. Second quarter filing is due on Wednesday, August 31, 2022. Information for employers is updated continuously on the ReEmployCT employer page and through email notifications. The agency urges employers to keep email addresses updated through their ReEmployCT account.
TRUST FUND AND LABOR MARKET
Since March 13, 2020, CTDOL has disbursed over $10.3 billion in pandemic unemployment benefit payments. To date, the state has borrowed $987 million for the Unemployment Trust Fund; however, Connecticut has repaid most of the loan using federal funding allocated by Governor Lamont and the legislature as well as through employer taxes. The current loan balance is $75 million.
Connecticut currently has approximately 25,500 weekly unemployment filers and an average weekly benefit of $434.
Connecticut’s job market continues to be a good one for job seekers. The July Labor Situation showed strong gains across the economy. Employers added an estimated 6,500 jobs and the unemployment rate continues to fall, now at 3.7%, down from 7.3% in June 2021. Connecticut’s workforce participation rate continues to be among the highest in the nation.
The next labor situation report is due on September 15, 2022.
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