Seven weeks later, jobless workers still waiting for unemployment checks

TO NORMAL WHEN THIS CLOCK HITS

ZERO.

I'M DEBORAH MORGAN.

>> I'M DAVID CRABTREE.

THE BIGGEST ISSUE IS ONE THAT

CAN'T BE REVERSED OVERNIGHT.

WE ARE TALKING ABOUT THE MASSIVE

LOSS OF JOBS.

FEDERAL NUMBERS SHOW ANOTHER

3.2 MILLION AMERICANS FILED FOR

UNEMPLOYMENT CLAIMS LAST WEEK.

JOBLESS CLAIMS IN THE LAST FEW

YEARS HAVE HOVERED AROUND

200,000 A WEEK.

THIS IS THE FIFTH STRAIGHT WEEK

THE NUMBER OF NEW CLAIMS HAS

DROPPED RINGING THOSE NUMBERS

HOME MORE THAN 1 MILLION PEOPLE

TO NORTH CAROLINE.

1 MILLION HAVE FILED FOR

UNEMPLOYMENT SINCE MID MARCH.

SOME STILL DON'T HAVE ANSWERS.

FOR TWO WEEKS WRAL HAS

REQUESTED AN INTERVIEW WITH

THE MAN IN CHARGE OF NORTH

CAROLINA'S UNEMPLOYMENT SYSTEM.

ADAM OWENS TRY TO TRACK HIM

DOWN.

HE JOINS US LIVE WITH WHAT HE

LEARNED.

>> Reporter: WHAT WE ARE

HEARING WHEN WE MAKE THAT

REQUEST IS THAT HE IS

UNAVAILABLE FOR INTERVIEW.

MANY PEOPLE ARE FINDING THE

SAME IS TRUE WHEN IT COMES TO

TRYING TO GET INFORMATION ON

THEIR UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFITS.

>> IT IS CRAZY THAT AT THIS

POINT TO NOT HAVE ANY SORT OF

ANSWERS.

>> JOE FILED AN UNEMPLOYMENT

CLAIM THE SAME DAY HE WAS LAID

OFF.

NEARLY THE END OF MARCH.

THE LESS HE HEARD IT STILL

BEING ADJUDICATED.

HE STARTED SELLING SOME

POSSESSIONS.

>> NOT KNOW IT WHERE IT STANDS

IS A MOST FRUSTRATING PART.

>> AMANDA'S HUSBAND WAS LAID

OFF WEEKS AGO.

THEIR UNEMPLOYMENT CLAIM WAS

APPROVED BUT THEY STILL HAVE

NOT RECEIVED ANY OF IT

PAYMENTS.

>> WE HAVE NO IDEA WHY THEY

WEREN'T GETTING PAID.

>> I THINK THE PROCESS OF

GETTING IN TOUCH WITH THEM HAS

BEEN THE MOST DIFFICULT PART.

>> IT IS EASY WHITE GETTING

THROUGH IS TOUGH.

MORE THAN 1 MILLION

UNEMPLOYMENT CLAIMS HAVE BEEN

FILED. JUST ON WEDNESDAY THE

STATE DIVISION OF EMPLOYMENT

SECURITY RECEIVED ALMOST 19,500

OF THEM.

IN ONE DAY THAT IS SIX TIMES

THE AMOUNT THESE TO GET IN A

WEEK BEFORE THE PANDEMIC.

THE STATE HAS ANNOUNCED PLANS

TO BRING IN MORE CALL TAKERS.

WE HAVE PLACED CALLS OF OUR OWN

ASKING ABOUT THE LONG WAITS TO

GET PAYMENT. FOR TWO WEEKS

WRAL WERE PRESENT AN INTERVIEW

WITH THE MAN WHO LEAVES THE

DEPARTMENT OF SECURITY.

WE HAVE BEEN TOLD HE'S NOT

AVAILABLE.

WE DID GET SOME ANSWERS EARLIER

THIS EVENING. THEY ALL HAVE TO

DO WITH THOSE LARGE NUMBERS YOU

HEARD ABOUT IN THAT STORY.

THE ANSWERS SAY THEY'RE

HANDLING THE VINES OF CALLS AND

REQUESTS RIGHT NOW FOR

ASSISTANCE AND HAS BEEN A

CHALLENGE.

THEY ARE ASSESSING HOW THEY CAN

IMPROVE THEIR SERVICES.

THERE ARE MORE THAN 1000 PEOPLE

ANSWERING THOSE CALLS FROM THE

PUBLIC RIGHT NOW INCLUDING

AFTER HOURS AND ON WEEKENDS.

IT COMES TO THE MASSIVE NUMBERS

THAT THEY ARE SEEING.

>> IF YOU ARE WAITING FOR MONEY

OR TRYING TO GET THROUGH,

THERE'S NO ANSWER THAT MATTERS

OTHER THAN SOMEONE HELPING.