NC unemployment office promises 800 more people answering phones by the end of the week

That figure is about 14 percent of the state's civilian workforce, according to Department of Commerce spokeswoman Kerry McComber.

Kimberly Herndon, a server at Texas Steakhouse, filled out an application in March, and she still doesn't know the status of her claim.

She is raising two boys on her waitress wages. When she tries to call the North Carolina Department of Commerce, she is put on hold and eventually disconnected.

"It's like dealing with a brick wall every day," she said. "You cannot get through no matter how hard you try."

Her schedule has now been structured around calling the state’s employment office to check the status of her claim.

"You call every morning," she said. "You get up as soon as the line opens, and they tell you the system is busy, to call back later."

She has yet to get a response from the office.

State unemployment office promises tripled work force by end of next week

A representative from the North Carolina Department of Commerce said the office is working "as quickly as possible" to answer all the claims. At the end of this week, the department said it plans to hire 800 people just to answer phones.

In total, the state said it will have more than triple the workforce it had before the coronaivrus outbreak to help process unemployment claims.

Claims take around 14 days to process, according to McComber. If there is an issue with a claim, it could take longer.

Jeff Dooley is a video producer in Garner who is out of work because of the virus. He was approved for benefits on March 25.

"Right now, we are six weeks in, and I haven't seen a penny," he said.

His online account shows there's a problem and he has to call to figure out what it is. When he calls, he is on hold until the system gets overwhelmed, and his call is disconnected.

“I know they're doing their best, but it just shouldn't take this long," Dooley said.

"We're all trying to deal with these curve balls," he said.