As unemployment claims continue to hit an all-time high across the country, the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development has decided to assign specific days of the week for people to apply.
Anyone that hasn’t already applied for unemployment will now have to do so based on the last digit in their Social Security number.
Those assignments are as follows:
- Monday: 0, 1 or 2
- Tuesday: 3, 4 or 5
- Wednesday: 6, 7, 8 or 9
- Thursday or Friday: Any number
We are currently processing more applications for unemployment benefits than we have ever received before. To ensure our online system can handle the increased activity, we are asking new applicants to apply on an assigned day based on the last digit of your SSN number. pic.twitter.com/6PmB3Wyu1v
— MN DEED (@mndeed) March 29, 2020
In other words, if a person’s SSN is XXX-XX-XXX1, they would apply Monday. If a person misses their specific day of the week, they would have to wait until Thursday or Friday to apply.
“This will not affect your benefit amount,” DEED commissioner Steve Grove posted on Twitter over the weekend. “It simply ensures we can handle the load and provide excellent service.”
According to Grove, since March 16 when Gov. Tim Walz ordered the closure of various businesses in an attempt to halt the spread of COVID-19, the state had received 239,263 unemployment applications, more than all of last year combined.
That has created a logjam of sorts with DEED struggling to keep up with the unprecedented high volume.
You are still encouraged to apply for unemployment at www.uimn.org if possible. You can also apply via phone by calling 651-296-3644 in the Twin Cities area or 877-898-9090 in the Greater Minnesota area.
