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Calif. EDD to close 4 days in Feb.

January 30th, 2009, 7:23 am · 14 Comments · posted by Mary Ann Milbourn

(Update: EDD now says it will staff call center phone lines on furlough days.)

California's Employment Development Department will be closed four days in February — two due to the mandatory state furloughs and two for the Presidents' holidays.

Santa Ana one-stop center

In one stretch, from Feb. 12-Feb. 20, EDD will be closed three of seven business days.

EDD is among the state offices that will be closed every first and third Friday under the furlough program ordered by the governor due to the budget crisis. Some EDD one-stop centers that partner with cities or counties may be staffed.  It was not immediately known if any in Orange County would be open.

In addition to the furlough closures, state workers are off for Lincoln's birthday and Washington's birthday.

Here are the days EDD won't be open this month:

  • Friday, Feb. 6 (furlough day)
  • Thursday, Feb. 12 (Lincoln's birthday)
  • Monday, Feb. 16 (Washington's birthday)
  • Friday, Feb. 20 (furlough day)

The closures come at a particularly bad time. Unemployment statewide hit 9.3% in December, fourth highest in the country, prompting a huge wave of jobless workers seeking benefits. EDD staff has been working overtime evenings and Saturdays just to keep up with the onslaught of applications, says Loree Levy, EDD spokeswoman.

Phone lines have been so jammed many have complained they can't get through.

EDD processed 376,000 unemployment applications in December alone plus extensions for 53,000 other people who qualified for additional benefits approved by Congress.  More than 2 million calls have been coming in on peak days even more than the highest call volume during the 2001 recession, when they fielded a maximum of 1.1 million calls a day.

Read the EDD press release on the furlough closures HERE.

Need a job? Looking for bargains? Facing financial setbacks? Visit the O.C. Register’s Web page on Handling Hard Times.

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 14 Comments

  • Not Even says:
    January 30, 2009 at 9:12 am

    Guess the State couldn't figure out how to rotate days off could they? This is going to cause a big poblem not only for the EDD staff who have to play "catch up" because the State can't figure out strategy but for the folk who are already out of jobs. Does anyone think they can tutor our governor on "strategy"?

  • Warren says:
    January 30, 2009 at 9:25 am

    The state should cancel either Washington or Linclon's birthday holiday going forward.

  • brianguy says:
    January 30, 2009 at 9:27 am

    ironically(?) there's no money to hand out anyway. of course, I can't think EDD will be organized enough to make up for the days they're closed

  • Some Chick says:
    January 30, 2009 at 9:46 am

    Then why don't they hire people collecting EDD to help with the newly laid off? That's dumb!

  • SqdnGuns says:
    January 30, 2009 at 9:47 am

    Thank god I'm moving to Florida in a week to take a job. I cannot even get through on the phones to EDD or even find an e-mail link to at least document I have tried contacting them. I'm not going to spend all day in line at their local office either.

    California just flat out sucks to live in unless you have a 6 digit income. Got me a 3 bdr house 1 1/2 mile from the Gulf of Mexico for $850!!

  • JohnB says:
    January 30, 2009 at 9:51 am

    I'm on the federal extension now, feel sorry for those who are recently unemployed. They will have a much harder time getting benefits.
    I see the politicians are not being forced to take afew days off without pay!!! They should have been the first.

  • JohnB says:
    January 30, 2009 at 9:55 am

    SqdnGuns, there's a walk in EDD office in Corona.

    Ca Dept Of Employment Development (Edd - Corona 1610)
    237 River Rd, Corona, CA 92880-1457

  • jimbo says:
    January 30, 2009 at 10:25 am

    Or, you can log onto their website at http://www.EDD.ca.gov.

  • Amanda says:
    January 30, 2009 at 12:19 pm

    My mother works for EDD and was telling me about this. The stupid part of the whole thing is they have these days off but they can still work overtime on saturday. Why not not cut overtime and just keep monday-friday?

  • reina says:
    January 30, 2009 at 7:08 pm

    HELP! ........I filed a claim on Dec. 26,2008. On Jan. 2, 2009, I got the paperwork saying that I was approved. I sent the paperwork back to them on January 7 (the one where you have to say you’re actively looking for work, etc.)...........The thing is, how do you know if you made a mistake or if they even received the paperwork if you can’t ahold of them on the phone? ...............Online it says like 10 days to get your first check once you’re approved and the first round of paper is sent back. Yeah, sure................CAN ANYONE PLEASE PLEASE TELL ME how long it takes to receive your first check (assuming you’ve been approved and there’s no problems with anything)??????

  • JohnB says:
    January 31, 2009 at 8:21 am

    reina, call them after 6 pm or before 7am or on the weekend. You'll get the automated system. Have you set up a PIN number? You can also do that over the phone during the times I gave you. Once you set those up you can call at those time to get check information. The automated system will tell you if a check has been paid to you and the amount. To get check information you have to enter your Social Security number and PIN.
    You can go to the EDD site and get the information on setting up your PIN number.

  • reina says:
    January 31, 2009 at 10:13 pm

    John B - thanks, I have done all that and check that recording everyday and they say nothing has been paid for that claim/SSNumber. I think there must be a problem. I am now writing an email to them, we'll see if it works.....FOR THOSE WHO HAVE FILED A CLAIM IN THE LAST MONTH (DEC-JAN), HOW LONG DID IT TAKE TO GET YOUR FIRST CHECK? SHOULD I STILL BE WAITING FOR THE FIRST CHECK AFTER 5 WEEKS?

  • own_home says:
    February 2, 2009 at 6:21 am

    Obama,
    Please give addtional $300/month to all unemployed in the bailout package.
    the current payment is not enough

  • OBAMA_SAVE_US says:
    February 2, 2009 at 12:36 pm

    LMAOOOOOOO, YEAH, OBAMA SAVE US GIVE US MORE MONEY. WHERE DO YOU PEOPLE THINK THIS MONEY COMES FROM, JUST MAGICALLY APPEARS IN SACRAMENTO AND WASHINGTON??? YES, THAT'S IT, AS THEY MAGICALLY STEAL IT OUT OF OUR WALLETS. GEEZES PEOPLE GET A CLUE!