If you’ve been waiting for in-person assistance from the state of New Jersey, folks? You may need to keep waiting, especially if your issue is with the unemployment office.
Governor Phil Murphy’s self-imposed deadline to reopen state offices by October 18th came and went on Monday, Save Jerseyans, but many services remained understaffed or effectively unavailable. The Murphy Administration told NJ.com that it had opted for a rolling re-opening, something altogether different than what was promised in August.
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“I’m disappointed but not surprised that Governor Murphy failed to live up to his promise to reopen all of the State government services that have been closed since the start of the pandemic,” said state Senator Kristin Corrado (R-40). “When everything in the private sector is open, the continuing closure of important State offices, including unemployment centers, sends a message that the Murphy administration doesn’t care that lots of people need help. There’s a clear disconnect between the governor’s priorities and what New Jerseyans actually need.”
New Jersey’s Labor Commissioner reportedly emailed legislators at the end of last week to explain that “there will be no in-person UI services at any DOL location at this time,” but that in-person assistance MAY return “at some point in 2022.”
“It absolutely outrageous that Governor Murphy is going to make desperate people wait another year for help with unemployment claims,” added Corrado, noting that some of her constituents had tried to go to Hackensack and Paterson unemployment offices on Monday. “It shouldn’t take two years for the Murphy administration to get these offices open and working for New Jerseyans who are begging for help. It’s complete and total incompetence.”
During the recent budget negotiations, Governor Murphy dismissed making a substantial investment in upgrading the state’s unemployment system as a “waste.”
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