FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 28, 2024
Media Contact:
Seth Gordon
communications@employ.oregon.gov
March 28, 2024, Oregon Employment Department Media Statement
Update on rollout of Frances Online for Unemployment Insurance benefits
The Oregon Employment Department (OED) is now in its fourth week of using Frances Online for Unemployment Insurance (UI) Benefits.
With preliminary data for the week of March 17-23 now available, the transition to the new system continues to track with overall expectations, as most claimants are using Frances Online to file their claims.
The preliminary data for last week shows that OED:
At 89 percent, the ratio of claimants who filed online using Frances rose for the second week in a row, climbing two points from 87 percent.
“We are pleased to see that more and more people are using Frances Online and getting used to the new system,” Unemployment Insurance Director Lindsi Leahy said. “At the same time, call volume and wait times for our Contact Center remain high and we acknowledge the frustration that causes our customers. We are working as quickly as we can to answer questions and provide the support they need. We also want to remind customers of all the ways to contact us, including sending a message from their Frances Online account, or using our online Contact Us form, chatbot, and live chat in multiple languages. We will continue to monitor the system, listen to customer feedback, and make improvements to give Oregonians a better level of customer service.”
Agency Director David Gerstenfeld explained what obstacles the agency is facing as it strives to improve customer service.
“Our biggest challenge is that we still have significant workloads and we lack the federal funding to hire enough people to provide the customer service Oregonians deserve. We are very grateful to the Oregon State Legislature for its support during the 2024 session.”
Earlier this month, the Legislature passed House Bill 4035, which is currently awaiting the Governor’s signature. It will provide additional administrative funding for 72 positions, but customers won’t feel the impacts until the second half of the year.
The power of information
The Oregon Employment Department’s Workforce and Economic Research Division has long been known as a national leader in its field, and it’s now gaining international recognition. The division develops workforce and economic information and tools, which it shares with local governments, businesses, the media, educational institutions, and the public via QualityInfo.org.
After Research Director Bob Uhlenkott shared OED’s approach to supporting job listings with detailed labor market information with the World Bank earlier this year, his team was invited to give a formal presentation for government staff and policymakers in Uruguay and Argentina on March 20.
With support from projections economist Sarah Cunningham and regional economist Nicole Ramos, workforce analyst Henry Fields delivered the presentation in Spanish via teleconference. The focus was to highlight best practices and innovative methods of providing labor market information to support career exploration and job searches using real-time job listings for the Argentinian and Uruguayan governments. Henry also shared insights on how Oregon’s advancements in this field are shaping policymaking and service delivery in a rapidly changing world.
“This was an amazing opportunity for our team,” Uhlenkott said. “We’re happy to share the lessons we’ve learned in Oregon with leaders from around the world, but I’m especially proud to see our team’s world-class work receive some of the recognition that it deserves.”
Next OED Media Briefing April 17
After hosting weekly media briefings about the rollout of Frances Online since early February, OED will return to holding monthly media briefings moving forward. The next media briefing will be held at 1 p.m. on Wednesday, April 17, 2024, when OED will release the statewide unemployment rate and employment survey data for March. Monthly briefings will coincide with the scheduled release of state unemployment rate and employment survey data. Information about the roll out of Frances Online for Unemployment Insurance benefits and other relevant updates from OED will be included at those briefings as needed. As always, members of the media are welcome to contact the Communications Office at communications@employ.oregon.gov with information and interview requests.
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The Oregon Employment Department (OED) is an equal opportunity agency. OED provides free help so you can use our services. Some examples are sign language and spoken-language interpreters, written materials in other languages, large print, audio, and other formats. To get help, please call 503-947-1444. TTY users call 711. You can also send an email to communications@employ.oregon.gov.
El Departamento de Empleo de Oregon (OED) es una agencia de igualdad de oportunidades. El OED proporciona ayuda gratuita para que usted pueda utilizar nuestros servicios. Algunos ejemplos son intérpretes de lengua de señas e idiomas hablados, materiales escritos en otros idiomas, letra grande, audio y otros formatos. Para obtener ayuda, por favor llame al 503-947-1444. Usuarios de TTY pueden llamar al 711. También puede enviar un correo electrónico a communications@employ.oregon.gov.